As our society gets increasingly modern, ailments related to sedentary, deskbound lifestyles are becoming common too, like lower back and neck pain.
If you suffer these conditions and have been contemplating acupuncture treatment for relief, Ministry of Health (MOH) has got your back.
They announced that patients seeking acupuncture treatment for lower back and neck pain can get up to 70% subsidies at public healthcare institutions.
This is thanks to the extended means-tested subsidy and MediSave coverage under a new pilot scheme.
On Tuesday (29 Dec), MOH said in a press release that they’ve rolled out a new pilot scheme to support acupuncture for lower back and neck pain at public specialist outpatient clinics.
Subsidised patients referred by a medical specialist in public hospitals for lower back or neck pain acupuncture treatment will get means-tested subsidies of up to 70%.
Around 2,000 patients per year may benefit from this pilot.
Eligible patients from the Merdeka Generation and Pioneer Generation can get another 25% and 50% off the remaining total respectively.
FYI, means-tested subsidy is a method used to calculate government subsidies when it comes to intermediate and long-term care services.
Your subsidy level is calculated by your household’s monthly income per capita.
This is to ensure patients from lower-income households will benefit from more subsidies compared to higher-income households.
You can head to public hospitals to apply for the subsidy.
All patients – regardless of subsidy status – may also pay for lower back and neck pain acupuncture treatment using Flexi-MediSave scheme.
Patients aged 60 and above can withdraw up to $200 a year from their own MediSave account, or their spouse’s, to pay for outpatient treatment.
MOH stresses that the pilot scheme will only cover acupuncture treatment for lower back and neck pain.
Other pain indications, or alternative treatment methods, will not be eligible for coverage.
They will continue to review the pilot to see how it can be expanded for the longer term.
With Singapore society aging rapidly, such pilots are timely to ensure that citizens can get treatment without breaking the bank.
It also shows how important it is for us to take care of our spine. Now that we’re spending longer hours working at home, it wouldn’t hurt to invest in an office chair that offers proper lumbar and neck support.
You can also try YouTubing for stretching exercises to relief tension in these areas.
Know someone who has lower back pain or neck aches? Share this article with them so they know treatment is accessible.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Lake Country Physiotherapy and Acupuncture IVF Singapore.
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