This guide is written from Ministry of Health and CHAS documents, read on 14 October 2026. It explains which scheme pays for what. It does not replace advice from a hospital’s financial counsellor or medical social worker.
The short version
| Need | Scheme to ask about |
|---|---|
| A CPAP machine, if you have moderate-to-severe sleep apnoea | ACE one-time CPAP subsidy |
| Outpatient COPD or asthma care at a GP or polyclinic | MediSave500/700, CHAS, Healthier SG |
| Buying an oxygen concentrator, age 60+ | AIC Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund |
| Renting a concentrator for someone with under a year to live | AIC Equipment Rental Scheme |
| A bill you still cannot pay after all of the above | MediFund |
MediSave: treatment, not equipment
MOH’s MediSave outpatient page lists what MediSave can pay for outside hospital. The items relevant to breathing patients are:
- MediSave500/700. Up to $500 a year per patient, or $700 for complex chronic conditions, for outpatient treatment of the 23 conditions in the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP). The list includes asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Obstructive sleep apnoea is not on it.
- Flexi-MediSave. $400 a year for outpatient treatment for patients aged 60 and above. A patient can use a spouse’s MediSave if both are 60 or older. It can be combined with MediSave500/700.
- Outpatient hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Up to $80 per session. This is a clinic treatment, not home oxygen.
None of the listed items is the purchase of a CPAP, mask or oxygen concentrator. That gap is why the device-specific schemes below matter.
CHAS: cheaper GP visits for chronic conditions
The Community Health Assist Scheme subsidises visits to participating GP clinics for the same 23 chronic conditions, including asthma. All Singapore Citizens are eligible. The card tier depends on household monthly income per person:
| CHAS card | Household monthly income per person | Home annual value (no income) |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | $1,500 and below | $21,000 and below |
| Orange | $1,501 to $2,300 | $21,001 to $31,000 |
| Green | above $2,300 | above $31,000 |
CHAS says CDMP patients enrolled with a Healthier SG GP can now use MediSave to pay their whole chronic-care bill there, up to the MediSave500/700 limit, without the 15% cash co-payment. CHAS also offers a Healthier SG Chronic Tier for common chronic medicines at prices comparable to polyclinics. Only one tier can be used per visit.
CHAS pays towards the GP visit and medicines. It does not buy equipment.
MediFund: the safety net
MediFund is a government endowment fund for Singaporeans who still cannot pay their bill after subsidies, insurance and MediSave. MOH says:
- You must have received, or need, treatment at a MediFund-approved institution: a public healthcare institution, community hospital or approved long-term care facility.
- Each institution has its own MediFund Committee, which decides whether to help and how much.
- The committee looks at your family’s financial, health and social circumstances and the size of the bill.
- You apply through the medical social workers at that institution. They will also check other ways to pay.
MediFund Silver and MediFund Junior are parts of MediFund aimed at needy seniors and children.
A worked example
A 68-year-old CHAS Blue cardholder with COPD is prescribed a home concentrator at a public hospital.
- Her GP visits for COPD can use CHAS and MediSave500/700.
- For the concentrator she can apply to AIC under the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund, which MOH has named as covering oxygen concentrators. She must be approved before buying, because AIC does not reimburse purchases made in advance.
- If her co-payment is still unaffordable, the hospital’s medical social worker can assess her for MediFund.
For CPAP users, start with the ACE subsidy and compare retail prices in CPAP machine prices in Singapore.