This an increase of S$60 million.
By the third quarter of this year, subsidies will be raised by about 30 per cent to benefit 40,000 people or 30 per cent more elderly.
Two-thirds of Singapore households will qualify for the home- and community-based services when the qualifying per capita income is raised from the current S$1,400 to S$2,200.
The government is tweaking the subsidy framework to make intermediate and long-term care (ILTC) services more affordable and accessible.
These include those at community hospitals, nursing homes, day rehabilitation and day care centres as well as home-based services like home medical, home nursing or home help.
Subsidies will be raised to as much as 80 per cent and 10,000 more Singaporeans will be able to receive subsidies.
For a start, subsidies at community hospitals -- ranging from 20 to 75 per cent -- will be extended to all patients.
The middle income will get the largest increase of up to 50 per cent.
This applies only to patients staying in subsidised six- to eight-bedded community hospital wards.
To make residential long-term care services, such as at nursing homes, more affordable for the middle-income group, the qualifying per capita income for subsidies for these services will be raised from the current S$1,400 to S$2,200.
So for example, at Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, 70 per cent of its 300 patients are currently subsidised.
And the hospital is glad to note that with the new subsidies, more of its patients will stand to benefit.
The hospital also plans to do more with the extra charity dollars, which were previously used to offset the bills for their middle-income patients.
Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital chairman Patrick Lee said: "We can provide a better quality care for the patient. Number two, with the extra dollars, we can also help the really poor -- can give them more on top of the government subsidies.
"And third, we can take care of more people."
A new Foreign Domestic Worker grant of S$120 will also benefit households with an elderly family member who can't perform three or more Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) such as feeding, toileting and mobility.
But the government said this is not cast in stone.
Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Halimah Yacob said: "Typically, the elderly that enters the nursing homes, we see that they are suffering from three assisted daily living activities.
"And so therefore, we feel that this is one criterion that's necessary in order to secure the grant."
Madam Halimah, who also sits on the Ministerial Committee on Ageing, added: "However, we ought to, from time to time, review to see whether we need to really have three ADLS and whether it can be a lesser number of ADLS.
"So we need to monitor this closely, in order to ensure that it will be meaningful and that the S$120 grant will be really helpful to our frail elderly."
MCYS will also adopt the same enhanced subsidy framework for services such as eldercare and adult disability care.
Under the new Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly (IDAPE) scheme, disabled elderly will get higher payouts of up to S$250 a month.
The qualifying per capita household income will also be raised from the current S$1,000 to S$2,200 in line with the revised subsidy framework for ILTC services.
This will be disbursed to elderly who were unable to join ElderShield at its inception in 2002 because they were either already disabled or has exceeded the maximum entry age.
Payouts under this scheme will be increased from the current S$100 and S$150 per month up to S$150 and S$250 per month.
The Ministry of Health will be absorbing the seven per cent GST charged for healthcare services for all intermediate and long-term care patients.
This will lead to cost savings for all subsidised patients and clients.
- CNA/wk
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