JB hospital expects continued healthcare demand from Singapore MediSave patients as RTS Link nears

Johor Bahru: Regency Specialist Hospital, the only Johor Bahru (JB) hospital currently participating in Singapore’s overseas MediSave scheme, has seen the number of patients from Singapore using MediSave double since the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link set to start operations in January 2027 and the train journey between Singapore and JB expected to take just five minutes, the hospital expects continued demand from Singapore patients for healthcare services.

Singaporeans and Indonesians reportedly accounted for most of the 150 to 200 international patients visiting the JB hospital each day, but the hospital didn’t reveal the exact number of MediSave patients from Singapore.

Channel News Asia (CNA) reported that nine in 10 MediSave patients there were women. Among the most commonly sought treatments were obstetrics and gynaecology services, including maternity care.

In fact, a 2025 study by Singapore-based think-tank ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute found that Singaporeans could save between 24% and 74% on procedures by having them done in Malaysia, with in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) offering the highest savings at 74%.

Regency Specialist Hospital CEO Serena Yong explained that Singaporeans consider affordability and accessibility when seeking treatment across the Causeway. While treatment costs in JB can be up to 10% higher on a dollar-to-dollar basis, the exchange rate makes all the difference. “But you know, in terms of currency, it’s already one-third,” she said. 

She added that beyond cost, patients also consider “the quality, the safety, the accessibility of the doctors, [and] the skills.”

Singaporeans and permanent residents have been allowed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to use MediSave for elective hospitalisations and day surgeries at accredited healthcare facilities overseas since March 2010.

However, patients looking to use MediSave must first undergo a clinical assessment, financial counselling and an eligibility check through Singapore-based healthcare provider Health Management International (HMI). For more information on using MediSave for treatment overseas, check here.

Financial Alliance associate director Francis Hoan told CNA that cross-border healthcare is likely to become a “growing, meaningful supplement” to the city-state’s healthcare system rather than a “wholesale replacement”. However, he warned that the “bigger long-term effect” would be pricing pressures on Singapore healthcare providers.

Beyond healthcare, nearly half of Singaporeans aged 35 to 44 are also expected to shift more than S$250 in monthly spending to JB once the RTS Link begins operations, a new BlackBox Research survey found. /TISG

Read also: Nearly half of Singaporeans aged 35 to 44 plan to shift over S$250 monthly spending to JB as RTS Link nears