FDA Approves Revuforj® as First Menin Inhibitor for Acute Leukemia with KMT2A Translocation

CHMP Recommends Approval of Opdivo® Plus Yervoy® for First-Line Treatment of MSI-H/dMMR Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

ADDF Invests $1.18M to Standardize p-tau217 Blood Tests for Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

GSK Reports Positive Interim Results for DREAMM-7 Trial of Blenrep in Multiple Myeloma

Molbio Diagnostics Invests $30 Million in OptraSCAN to Revolutionize Digital Pathology

BioNTech Acquires Chinese Oncology Firm Biotheus for $950M

The Care and Protection of Children Trust

CPCT Launches Groundbreaking Initiative to Provide Lifelong Free Treatment for Children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in Karnataka

Early Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Improves Cancer Treatment Outcomes, Study Shows

EMA Reverses Decision, Recommends Limited Approval for Eisai and Biogen’s Alzheimer’s Drug Leqembi

Exact Sciences Unveils Advances in Multi-Cancer Early Detection with Cancerguard™ Test

MSD and LaNova Medicines Enter Exclusive Global License Agreement for Novel Cancer Therapy, LM-299

Promising CAR T Cell Therapies from BMS and Cabaletta Bio Show Potential for Durable Remission in Severe Lupus

FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to PTC Therapeutics' KEBILIDI™, the First Gene Therapy for AADC Deficiency in the U.S.

Association for Molecular Pathology Publishes Joint Consensus Report on SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Surveillance for Hospitals and Public Health Laboratories

Philips India Unveils Advanced Azurion Imaging System to Revolutionize Cardiac and Neurovascular Care

Home
/
update
/
details

Singapore to Expand MediShield Life Coverage for Precision Medicine and Strengthen Genetic Data Protections

NextEdge Admin

10 Oct 2024

3 min 0 sec

MediShield Life,Ministry of Health,insurance

Singapore's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced that precision medicine therapies will be covered under MediShield Life, as part of efforts to keep advanced treatments affordable for Singaporeans. The Ministry of Health (MOH) is also drafting new legislation to regulate the use of genetic and genomic data, addressing concerns over potential discrimination in insurance and employment.

Speaking at the 22nd Singapore Health & Biomedical Congress, Mr. Ong highlighted that healthcare is at the brink of a major technological shift, driven by the convergence of genomics, artificial intelligence (AI), and preventive care. He emphasized the transformative potential of data in healthcare but warned that these innovations could become a "double-edged sword" if not managed properly.

The MediShield Life Council will release its recommendations next week, calling for insurance coverage to include approved precision medicine therapies. Precision medicine, which tailors treatments based on genetics, lifestyle, and environment, is expected to become mainstream over time. However, existing healthcare financing systems are not equipped to fully fund these treatments, which could lead to inequities. To address this, MOH plans to integrate these therapies into subsidy frameworks, MediShield Life, and MediSave.

Mr. Ong stressed the importance of developing local capabilities to reduce the costs and production times of precision medicine. Health technology assessments have been strengthened to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of high-cost treatments, and subsidies will be extended to those proven effective.

He also discussed the ethical risks of new technologies, such as gene editing, which could be misused for non-medical purposes. To prevent genetic discrimination, MOH has worked with the Life Insurance Association to impose a moratorium on using genetic test results in insurance underwriting. Additionally, MOH is preparing new legislation to govern the use of genetic data, with broad consultations planned before the Bill is submitted to Parliament within the next two years.