title: Long-Term Care Policy: Singapore's Experience.
abstract: Singapore, like many developed countries, is facing the challenge of a rapidly aging population and the increasing need to provide long-term care (LTC) services for elderly in the community. The Singapore government's philosophy on care for the elderly is that the family should be the first line of support, and it has relied on voluntary welfare organizations (VWOs) or charities for the bulk of LTC service provision. For LTC financing, it has emphasized the principles of co-payment and targeting of state support to the low-income population through means-tested government subsidies. It has also instituted ElderShield, a national severe disability insurance scheme. This paper discusses some of the challenges facing LTC policy in Singapore, particularly the presence of perverse financial incentives for hospitalization, the pitfalls of over-reliance on VWOs, and the challenges facing informal family caregivers. It discusses the role of private LTC insurance in LTC financing, bearing in mind demand- and supply-side failures that have plagued the private LTC insurance market. It suggests the need for more standardized needs assessment and portable LTC benefits, with reference to the Japanese Long-Term Care Insurance program, and also discusses the need to provide more support to informal family caregivers.
authors.affiliation: a Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health , National University of Singapore , Singapore.
authors.forename: Chee Wei Winston
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.affiliation: b Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy , National University of Singapore , Singapore.
authors.forename: Kai-Hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Phua
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004467:Economics; D005380:Financing, Government / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007353:Insurance, Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics*; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012846:Singapore; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Informal caregivers; long-term care; long-term care financing; long-term care insurance