In brief
On 26 February 2021, the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that it is introducing a new voluntary listing of direct telemedicine service providers, to assist patients with making informed choices when selecting telemedicine service providers. According to the MOH, this scheme will be an interim measure to promote patient safety and welfare in the provision of telemedicine services, pending the upcoming regulation of telemedicine services under the new soon-to-be-implemented Healthcare Services Act.
Recommended actions
As it stands, listing with the MOH is voluntary. However, the MOH “strongly encourages” providers to apply to be listed, as this could ease the transition to the licensing regime under the Healthcare Services Act by 2022. Given that telemedicine services are currently unregulated, participation in the listing can serve as a useful litmus test for MOH’s future standards and expectations of telemedicine service providers under the new Healthcare Services Act. This will also give providers time to relook and revise their existing practices gradually ahead of the new laws, thereby promoting business continuity by minimising any last-minute disruptions to their businesses once the Healthcare Services Act comes into effect.
More information on the new voluntary listing initiative may be found here. Our most recent newsletter covering the Healthcare Services Act can also be found here.
In more detail
On 26 February 2021, the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that it is introducing a new voluntary listing of direct telemedicine service providers, to assist patients with making informed choices when selecting telemedicine service providers. According to the MOH, this scheme will be an interim measure to promote patient safety and welfare in the provision of telemedicine services, pending the upcoming regulation of telemedicine services under the new soon-to-be-implemented Healthcare Services Act.
Qualification under the new voluntary listing scheme is not automatic; the MOH will only list providers that have committed to comply with certain process and governance measures on the MOH website.
To qualify, the providers must:
- Ensure their doctors and/or dentists have completed MOH’s telemedicine e-training;
- Implemented professional and process measures ensuring the safety of telemedicine care. This includes the implementation of follow-up protocols, patient identity verification processes, etc.). The provider must also ensure that such measures and protocols are adhered to; and
- Submit an application form to MOH to be listed. This form will include a declaration that the provider is compliant with MOH’s measures.
A key benefit of being listed by the MOH is that from 1 April 2021, only listed providers can:
- offer Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) subsidies; and/or
- submit MediSave claims for the follow-up of chronic conditions via video consultations under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP).
It should be noted that this development follows the corresponding closure of the MOH’s previous regulatory sandbox (the Licensing Experimentation and Adaptation Programme or LEAP). LEAP had begun in 2018 as an initiative by the MOH to gather insights on the provision of telemedicine services from 11 participating telemedicine and mobile medicine providers, and work closely with these providers to promote the safe growth of telemedicine. The information gathered during LEAP had since been collated to form the basis for the abovementioned free telemedicine e-training programme launched by the MOH in March 2020. To date, more than 6,000 learners have completed the e-training, which seeks to educate health professionals and staff on the limitations, safe use and incorporation of telemedicine into their existing practices.
The full listing of direct telemedicine service providers, as well as the steps and form to submit an application, may be found on the MOH’s website here.
