“I might as well buy a home swab test” – Some patients choose not to get tested at clinics as COVID test subsidy gets reduced

SINGAPORE: As government subsidies for COVID tests at clinics reduced yesterday (1 Apr), some patients have reportedly decided to skip getting tested at polyclinics or family clinics, opting instead to use home swab kits.

The Government had announced earlier that medical subsidies for COVID-19 treatment will be reduced and aligned with other acute illnesses, as Singapore transitions to treating COVID-19 as an endemic disease.

From April, regular government subsidies and healthcare schemes will apply for COVID-19 treatment in hospitals and facilities, including for those who are not vaccinated. However, vaccinations will continue to be fully subsidized for eligible patients, and vaccination requirements will remain for new applications for permanent residence and work passes.

Local clinics are now charging between $10 to $38 per Antigen Rapid Test (ART), according to Channel 8 news which surveyed 10 clinics across the island.

At one clinic, 30 per cent of patients have symptoms like sore throat and cough that would normally require an ART test on site but the $25 the clinic has charging has some choosing to take the test at home.

One patient told the Chinese programme, “$25 yuan for the test is too expensive. I might as well buy a swab at home.” Another patient said: “It is time-consuming and costly. I can do it myself, so why not.”

But doctors are concerned that home tests may not be accurate. One family doctor, who charges $10 for an ART swab, said that he requires patients to get tested at his clinic if they want a medical note stating that they are COVID-positive.

Asserting that it is his responsibility to ensure the test is conducted correctly, he said: “We will not rely on their test results at home, because the test results at home may be someone else’s.”

He added that will also discern whether a patient needs an ART test based on the individual’s condition. Among the about eight patients with respiratory issues who came to his clinic yesterday, none of them needed to undergo ART testing.