摘要：2025年4月8日，新加坡卫生部兼数码发展与新闻部政务部长拉哈尤.玛赞在国会口头答复宏茂桥集选区议员颜添宝、阿裕尼集选区议员林瑞莲有关为新加坡公民的非公民母亲或亲属提供分娩津贴及其他医疗费用补贴的问题。
2025年4月8日，新加坡卫生部兼数码发展与新闻部政务部长拉哈尤.玛赞在国会口头答复宏茂桥集选区议员颜添宝、阿裕尼集选区议员林瑞莲有关为新加坡公民的非公民母亲或亲属提供分娩津贴及其他医疗费用补贴的问题。
以下内容为新加坡眼根据国会英文资料翻译整理：
颜添宝 （宏茂桥集选区议员）问卫生部长：
（一）过去五年，卫生部是否收到新加坡公民为其非公民亲属或外籍配偶申请医疗费用援助或补贴的个案？若有，共有多少宗？
（二）卫生部能否与移民与关卡局（ICA）合作，考虑推行政策，要求持长期探访准证（LTVP）入境的外国亲属或配偶在逗留期间购买医疗保险？
林瑞莲（阿裕尼集选区议员）问卫生部长：
（一）针对为新加坡公民的外籍母亲提供的公民级别分娩津贴，是否涵盖一般分娩住院期间的所有费用项目，或仅限特定项目？
（二）若仅限特定项目，请列明具体项目；
（三）是否会检讨现行政策以减少或消除不同外籍母亲（其孩子为新加坡公民）总账单金额的差距？
拉哈尤·玛赞（卫生部兼数码发展与新闻部政务部长，代卫生部长答复）：议长先生，请求准许合并答复第1及第2个问题。
议长：请继续。
拉哈尤·玛赞（卫生部兼律政部高级政务次长）：林瑞莲议员询问外籍母亲为新加坡公民产子时的分娩住院津贴。大部分育有新加坡公民子女的外籍配偶为永久居民（PR）或持有长期探访附加准证（LTVP+），因此有资格在公立医疗机构享受医疗补贴。特别是，已取得永久居留权或LTVP+并与新加坡公民结婚的母亲，从入院分娩至产后出院期间的所有相关项目及治疗，均享有与公民同等的补贴。
针对颜添宝议员关于非公民亲属或配偶医疗援助的提问，卫生部及公立医疗机构确实收到新加坡公民为其外籍家属申请医疗费用资助的个案。我们会根据个案具体情况评估，但未专门统计此类申请数量。
需强调的是，医疗补贴由全体新加坡人承担，向外国人扩展此类福利须审慎考量。面临医疗费用困难的外籍人士可向医疗社工求助。
医疗保险是另一种保障持LTVP或家属准证（Dependant’s Pass）外籍家属的方式。目前，他们可购买综合健保计划（Integrated Shield Plan）并现金支付保费，或使用公民/永久居民家人的保健储蓄（MediSave）。部分人亦可能享有雇主提供的医保福利。
然而，强制所有长期居留外国人购买医疗保险需慎重考虑，因其可能对公民家属造成财务负担。我们将持续研究此措施的可行性。
议长：有请林瑞莲议员。
林瑞莲（阿裕尼集选区议员）：感谢议长。我有三项补充提问。
第一，卫生部是否承认有相当数量的新加坡公民子女是由未持PR或LTVP+（仅持LTVP或更低准证）的外籍母亲所生？
第二，提高总生育率（TFR）是国家要务。对于未持PR或LTVP+的外籍母亲而言，其分娩总费用显著高于持LTVP+或PR的母亲，这是否与提高生育率的目标相悖？
第三，若考虑为这类外籍母亲提供额外支持，鉴于人数有限且分娩次数多为一次或两次，政府是否无法负担相关成本？
拉哈尤·玛赞：感谢议员关注。首先，人数问题请以内政部（MHA）答复为准。根据2024年分娩数据，持LTVP+等准证的外籍母亲占比不足10%，绝大多数外籍配偶为PR或LTVP+持有者。
需说明两点：第一，持PR或LTVP+的母亲从分娩入院至出院全程享受公民级别补贴，新加坡公民子女的权益已获保障。即使母亲在申请LTVP+期间分娩，亦可追溯适用补贴。
第二，持LTVP+的外籍配偶在非分娩期间亦可享有与PR同等的公立医院住院补贴。若遇经济困难，可寻求医疗社工协助。
现有政策已覆盖议员提及的大部分问题，但我们将持续检视政策缺口，适时调整财务援助框架。
议长：有请林瑞莲议员。
林瑞莲（阿裕尼集选区议员）：感谢议长。再补充一问：既然未持PR或LTVP+的外籍母亲占比不足10%，而每名新加坡新生儿都弥足珍贵，政府是否有空间检讨政策，为持LTVP或更低准证的母亲提供更多财务支持？
拉哈尤·玛赞：我们将持续评估。建议符合条件的母亲申请LTVP+以享受公民级别补贴。对于确有困难者，卫生部将继续探索支持方案。
以下是英文质询内容：
SUBSIDIES ON MATERNITY FEES AND OTHER MEDICAL BILLS FOR FOREIGNERS WHO ARE MOTHERS OR RELATIVES OF SINGAPORE CITIZENS
1 Mr Gan Thiam Pohasked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has received appeals from Singaporeans for help and subsidies to pay medical fees for their non-Singaporean relatives or foreign spouses in the past five years and if so, how many such cases there have been; and (b) whether the Ministry can work with ICA to consider implementing a policy requiring such foreign relatives or spouses visiting Singapore on long term visit pass to purchase medical insurance during their visit.
2 Ms Sylvia Limasked the Minister for Health (a) whether the citizen-level subsidies for maternity fees accorded to foreign mothers giving birth to Singapore Citizens apply to all items incurred during a typical maternity hospitalisation or only to specified items; (b) if only for specified items, what are the specific items; and (c) whether a review will be done to equalise or reduce the disparity in the total bill size for all foreign mothers giving birth to Singapore Citizens.
The Minister of State for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, may I seek your permission to answer Question Nos 1 and 2 together, please?
Mr Speaker: Please proceed.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: Ms Sylvia Lim asked about maternity hospitalisation subsidies accorded to foreign mothers giving birth to Singapore Citizens. The majority of foreign spouses with Singapore Citizen children are Permanent Residents (PRs) or holders of Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP+). Therefore, they are eligible for healthcare subsidies in public healthcare institutions. In particular, mothers with permanent residency or LTVP+ who are married to Singapore Citizens receive the same level of subsidies as Singapore Citizens for all items and treatments incurred for the entire delivery episode, from admission for childbirth to discharge after delivery.
On Mr Gan’s question about help and subsidies for non-Singaporean relatives and spouses, the Ministry and our public healthcare institutions do receive appeals regarding financing for healthcare costs incurred by foreign spouses or relatives of Singapore Citizens. We assess them on a case-by-case basis based on individual circumstances and do not specifically track the number of appeals.
Ultimately, as healthcare subsidies are borne by all Singaporeans, any extension of these benefits to foreigners must be assessed carefully. Foreigners facing financial difficulties with their healthcare bills may approach our medical social workers for assistance.
Healthcare insurance is another way to help protect families with foreigner members on LTVP or Dependant’s Pass from large hospital bills. Today, such individuals may buy plans offered by Integrated Shield Plan insurers and pay premiums in cash or using their Singapore Citizen/PR family members’ MediSave. They may also be covered by employer medical benefits.
However, making healthcare insurance mandatory for all long-staying foreigners will have to be carefully considered, as this may in turn pose a financial burden on their Singapore Citizen family members. We will continue to study the feasibility of this.
Mr Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Thank you, Speaker. I have three supplementary questions for the Minister of State.
First, I have asked for the figures from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the answer to this, so I do not know, but does the Ministry of Health (MOH) also acknowledge that there is a significant number of Singaporean children being born to foreign mothers who are not holders of PR or LTVP+ but LTVP itself or less. So, does MOH acknowledge that fact?
Secondly, it is a national priority for us to increase our total fertility rate (TFR). So, if we look at the cost differential for foreign mothers giving birth to Singapore Citizens who are not holders of PR or LTVP+, does MOH not find that the total bill size is significantly higher than that for LTVP+ or PR mothers, in the sense that it works against our aim to increase our TFR, because the cost is just too high?
And finally, if we were to consider extending further support to this group of foreign mothers who are not PRs or LTVP+ holders, I think we are looking at probably a limited number of people and these delivery episodes are once in a lifetime, maybe twice. So, are we not able to afford to look into this?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: I thank the Member for her interest. Firstly, on the numbers, I will leave MHA to respond to her queries. But based on the indications that we have in respect of delivery episodes in 2024, actually, in terms of the other Pass types – LTVP and others – the numbers are really a smaller percentage; I would say less than 10%. So, the majority of those who are foreign spouses, they are PRs or LTVP+ holders.
I would just highlight a couple of things to address the other questions that the Member has raised. I understand. The concern is really the Singapore child and you are helping a Singaporean with this situation. As I have mentioned earlier, firstly, the majority of the foreign spouses that we see are PRs or LTVP+ holders, which means that they are entitled to Singapore Citizen rates for the whole delivery episode. It means that from the time they are admitted for delivery to the discharge of the mother after birth, it is fully covered at Singaporean rates. In that sense, the issue of the Singaporean child not being supported, does not exist because for any mother who is delivering a Singaporean child and if they are a PR or LTVP+ holder, the whole episode of delivery is covered.
Also, it can be applied retrospectively. So, if the mother is in the process of applying for her LTVP+ and it has not yet been approved, and she then got admitted but there is a process or an application pending, she can actually apply for the rates to be applicable to her as well. This is also something that addresses those concerns.
There are two other points I wanted to make. If it is outside the episode of delivery, LTVP+ foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens are also eligible for healthcare benefits, such as subsidies for in-patient services at the restructured hospitals and this is at the same level as PRs. So, in that sense, they are also covered for some of their other expenses. In any case, if there are any difficulties, the foreign spouses may also seek help from medical social workers.
So, actually, a large part of the concerns that the Member has are already addressed with the existing policies. But we will continue to look at all gaps. We always review our financing policies regularly to see if there are emerging trends or needs that we need to address.
Mr Speaker: Ms Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim: Thank you, Sir. One more supplementary question for the Minister of State. She mentioned in her answer that the number of foreign mothers giving birth to Singaporean children who are not already PRs or LTVP+ holders is small, less than 10%. I think as she correctly acknowledged, we are all in this together. Every Singaporean child born is precious to us. So, given that the numbers are not large, according to what the Ministry has just said, then I think there is scope for us to review, to see how we can better support, financially at least, the delivery episodes of these mothers who are holders of LTVP or less Passes.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: As I mentioned, we will continue to assess this situation. But the Member may want to consider for those situations where the mother comes in, what they can do is to apply for LTVP+ and if she satisfies that requirement, she will then be entitled to Singapore Citizen rates.
In the meantime, we will continue to assess and to see where we can continue supporting the mothers who have difficulties with the delivery costs.
来源：新加坡眼一点号
