MediFund is an endowment fund set up by the Government. It provides a safety net for patients who face financial difficulties with their remaining bills after receiving Government subsidies and drawing on other means of payment including MediShield Life, MediSave and cash.
MediFund Silver and MediFund Junior are carved out from MediFund to provide more targeted assistance for the needy elderly and the young respectively.
As an endowment fund, interest income generated from the capital sum are allocated to approved healthcare institutions , for them to assist with the medical bill payments of needy patients.
It was set up in April 1993 with an initial capital of $200 million, but the government injects a capital sum into the fund from time to time, e.g. when budget surpluses are available. The interest income generated from the capital sum is used to provide financial assistance for healthcare bills.
To provide more targeted assistance to the disadvantaged elderly and the young, MediFund Silver and MediFund Junior were introduced in 2007 and 2013 respectively. MediFund has also been extended to cover more healthcare services, such as primary care at polyclinics, dental services, antenatal and delivery services over the years.
Patients and/or their families can approach the medical social workers at MediFund-approved institutions if they require assistance with their healthcare bills.