Review pay first, claim later rule for medical treatment

UNDER Service Circular (Human Resources – Medical Benefits) Version 1 (2024), the Public Service Department (PSD) allows civil servants, pensioners and their eligible dependants to seek treatment at a private hospital in any life-threatening emergency. However, the private hospital must be the nearest to the scene of the emergency compared to a government facility, and the attending physician must certify the case as medically urgent.

Before this, the government would only pay for treatment obtained at a public clinic or general hospital. While this is a magnanimous gesture, one particular provision renders it a mirage for the vast majority of civil servants and pensioners – the patient has to pay upfront and claim reimbursement later.