We have all been told that we should see the dentist at least once every six months. Besides maintaining our oral hygiene, seeing a dentist regularly can also nip problems such as tooth decay and gum disease early.
But some of us put off seeing the dentist because dental services —especially ones that are performed for medical reasons— may not necessarily be affordable.
The good news is some of these dental procedures can be covered by MediSave. In this article, we’ll cover which dental services can be paid for using MediSave, the claims process, and what to do if you don’t have enough in your MediSave account.
MediSave in Singapore
All Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs) are required to set aside a portion of their monthly salary —usually between 8-10.5%, depending on their age— into their MediSave account. Funds in your MediSave account can be used to pay for selected medical services for yourself or for your immediate family members. This includes some outpatient services, day surgeries and hospitalisation.
There are withdrawal limits, however, to ensure that there will always be sufficient funds in your MediSave account to pay for basic healthcare needs when you are much older. Nonetheless, most of the charges incurred at outpatient services and subsidised inpatient wards are well within the withdrawal limits.
Which dental services are MediSave claimable?
As a general rule of thumb, MediSave can be used to pay for dental treatments that involve surgery and are performed due to medical reasons. Such treatments would include:
- Dental implants
- Wisdom tooth removal
- Jaw surgery
- Gum/bone grafting
The amount claimable depends on the type of surgery outlined in the Table of Surgical Procedures (TOSP) by the Ministry of Health. The TOSP highlights the list of procedures for which MediSave can be claimed. Each procedure in the TOSP has an assigned code which informs you of the amount according to the Table of Operations:
Image via https://www.moh.gov.sg/cost-financing/healthcare-schemes-subsidies/medisave
Can I use MediSave to pay for wisdom teeth removal?
Wisdom tooth extraction involves surgery to remove impacted wisdom tooth teeth that are blocked from erupting. In this case, MediSave can be used to cover up to $300 per day for daily hospital charges, as well as a fixed limit for the surgery itself ranging between $250 (Table 1A) to $7,550 (Table 7C). If there is more than one surgery, the total amount claimable cannot exceed $7,550 or the actual amount incurred, whichever is lower.
| Procedure | Medisave Withdrawal Limit |
|---|---|
| Without tooth division | Up to $650 |
| With tooth division | Up to $1250 |
| Deep and with tooth division | Up to $1550 |
At Smilepoint Dental Centre, wisdom tooth extraction is MediSave claimable. It costs anywhere between $1,016.50 to $1,605 per site (inclusive of GST). Of which, $1,250 can be claimed through your MediSave.
Read more to find out about wisdom tooth removal in Singapore.
Which dental services are non-claimable via MediSave?
Non-surgical dental treatments are not claimable. These include:
- Routine dental checks
- Extractions
- Dental crowns
- Dentures
- Braces
Can I use MediSave for dental crowns?
You may pay for dental crowns via insurance (depending on your insurance provider) if it is required as a result of accidents and medically necessary. For example, if you got into an accident and cracked a tooth so much so that chewing becomes unbearably painful, you may medically require a dental crown. A cracked tooth is a serious condition and can sometimes require root canal treatment if the crack goes below the gum line.
At Smilepoint Dental Centre, dental crowns cost between $1,016.50 to $1,712 per piece, depending on your unique clinical circumstances.
What is the claims process like?
If you intend to use your MediSave for the dental procedure, you should first ensure that the dental procedure qualifies to be claimed via MediSave. If the procedure can be claimed through MediSave, you should then let the dental clinic know that you would like to make payment via your MediSave.
At this point, the clinic staff will get you to endorse a Medical Claims Authorisation Form (MCAF) which essentially authorises the clinic to make deductions from your MediSave account. At the point of application, the clinic staff should advise you on the cost of the procedure, amount claimable, any outstanding amount to be paid in cash, as well as verify the details of your MediSave account. Once the application is approved and claims processed, you will receive a MediSave Claims Statement summarising the transaction.
What if I don’t have enough in my Medisave account?
In the event that you do not have enough funds in your MediSave account, you may use your immediate family member’s i.e. your spouse, children, parents, siblings or grandparents MediSave account to pay for the procedure, subject to MediSave withdrawal limits.
The reverse applies too where you may pay for your immediate family member’s medical procedure using your MediSave funds. Such applications to either use your immediate family member’s MediSave or use your own MediSave for a family member will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Do you have any questions? Feel free to drop our friendly team a message and we will get back to you!
References
- CPFB: Can I use my medisave savings for non-surgical dental treatments? Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB). (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.cpf.gov.sg/member/faq/healthcare-financing/medisave/can-i-use-my-medisave-savings-for-non-surgical-dental-treatments
- Medisave. Ministry of Health. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.moh.gov.sg/cost-financing/healthcare-schemes-subsidies/medisave
- CPFB: Can I use my medisave to pay for the medical treatments received by dependants other than my spouse, children, parents, grandparents and siblings? Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB). (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://www.cpf.gov.sg/member/faq/healthcare-financing/medisave/can-i-use-my-medisave-to-pay-for-the-medical-treatments-received