It is the question that decides whether an online consult is worth it for many Singaporeans: can I use MediSave or CHAS to pay for a teleconsult, or is it all out of pocket? The honest short answer is that it depends entirely on why you are consulting. For an acute problem — a cold, a cough, a sick-day medical certificate — government subsidies do not cover a video consult, and you pay the private fee. For the regular follow-up of an established chronic condition, MediSave and the CHAS Chronic subsidy can be used for a video consultation, but only when a specific set of conditions is met. This guide sets out exactly where the line falls, how much you can claim, what you still pay in cash, and how Healthier SG changes the maths.
Everything below is grounded in Singapore's own rules: the Ministry of Health (MOH) and CHAS framework for video consultations under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP), the CPF Board's MediSave outpatient rules, and the 2026 Committee of Supply announcements. Primary sources are linked throughout and listed at the end. Figures were last reviewed on 11 June 2026.
The short answer: when can you use MediSave or CHAS for a teleconsult?
Subsidy follows the type of care, not the channel. Use this as your quick guide:
| What you are consulting for | MediSave / CHAS for a video consult? | How you usually pay |
|---|---|---|
| Acute illness — cold, cough, flu, gastric upset, a sick-day MC | No | Private fee, paid in full (e.g. cash/card) |
| Regular follow-up of a chronic condition under the CDMP | Yes — if eligibility conditions are met | CHAS Chronic subsidy + MediSave, with a cash co-payment |
| A brand-new problem, or first-ever consult with that doctor | No (must be seen in person first) | Private fee or in-person subsidised visit |
| Outpatient costs if you are aged 60+ | Flexi-MediSave may apply to qualifying costs | Flexi-MediSave (up to $400/year) + any co-payment |
In other words: the on-demand teleconsult you use for flu or an MC is a private service, while a video follow-up for your diabetes or blood pressure can draw on the same subsidies as an in-person chronic visit — provided you qualify. The rest of this guide explains both halves.
Why aren't acute teleconsults (cold, cough, MC) subsidised?
Government subsidies for acute illness are tied to being seen in person. The official CHAS FAQ is explicit: "the time-limited CHAS subsidies will not cover video consultations for acute conditions, such as common cold or cough," and you would need an in-person visit to use your CHAS Acute subsidies. So when you book a quick video consult for a sore throat or a sick day, you are paying the provider's private fee in full — there is no CHAS or MediSave offset for that visit.
That is not a loophole; it is the design. For practical purposes it means you should compare on the headline price for acute teleconsults. At Digital Health, for instance, the teleconsult fee is $15 nett, with medication and delivery charged separately — a transparent private price rather than a subsidised one. We unpack what drives those private fees in our guide to online doctor consultation cost in Singapore.
When CAN you use CHAS Chronic and MediSave for a video consult?
Since 1 December 2023, CHAS Chronic subsidy and MediSave can be used for video consultations for the regular follow-up of all 23 chronic conditions under the CDMP. This is the one route where teleconsultation is subsidised — and it comes with guardrails to keep it safe for stable, established patients. To qualify, all of the following must be true:
- It is a follow-up of an existing chronic condition on the CDMP list — not a first consult, and not an acute illness.
- You have seen that same doctor in person within the last 12 months. CHAS requires at least one in-person consultation with your medical practitioner in the preceding 12 months so they can confirm you are suitable for video follow-up.
- It is a genuine video consultation — phone calls, text, or email do not qualify.
- It is used sparingly. Because patients are expected to make around four visits a year for a chronic condition, there should generally be no more than three video-consultation episodes each year; the rest are seen in person.
- The provider is trained and listed for it. Only providers that have completed MOH's telemedicine e-training can claim these subsidies, and they appear tagged "(Remote)" in the HealthHub directory of licensed providers.
When those boxes are ticked, you can tap your prevailing CHAS Chronic subsidy and MediSave (specifically the MediSave Chronic limit and, if eligible, Flexi-MediSave) to offset the cost of the video consultation along with related drugs and investigations — the same cost components as an in-person chronic visit. If you are weighing whether a particular visit is better done by video or in person, our guide on teleconsult vs clinic visit walks through examples.
Which chronic conditions qualify?
The CDMP currently covers 23 chronic conditions. They include the conditions most Singaporeans manage long-term — diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), lipid disorders (high cholesterol), ischaemic heart disease, stroke, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, gout, and several mental-health conditions such as major depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. From January 2027, MOH is expanding the CDMP to add hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. The complete, current list is published on MOH's CDMP page.
If your condition is on the list and stable, a video follow-up can keep you on top of medication and monitoring without a trip to the clinic. We have plain-English primers on the medicines themselves for diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol if you want to understand your regimen before the call.
How much can MediSave cover, and what do you pay in cash?
For chronic care under the CDMP, MediSave can be used up to an annual cap, with a cash co-payment on top:
- Up to $500 per patient per year for non-complex (simple) chronic conditions.
- Up to $700 per patient per year for complex chronic conditions (broadly, more conditions or those with complications).
- A 15% cash co-payment applies. As CPF states, "Cash co-payment of 15% applies to these treatments, except for treatments received at your enrolled Healthier SG clinic" — so enrolling in Healthier SG at your regular clinic waives that 15% cash portion.
These limits are set to become more generous. At the FY2026 Committee of Supply (5 March 2026), MOH announced that from 1 January 2027 the scheme will be renamed "MediSave Chronic and Preventive Care," and the annual withdrawal limits will rise from $500 to $700 for the basic limit and from $700 to $1,000 for complex chronic conditions.
There is a separate pot for older patients. Flexi-MediSave lets Singaporeans aged 60 and above use up to $400 per year (raised from $300 on 1 October 2025) of their own or their spouse's MediSave for outpatient treatments at polyclinics, public-hospital Specialist Outpatient Clinics, and CHAS GP clinics — and this can be applied to qualifying video-consultation costs. It is a useful top-up once the CDMP limits are reached.
How does Healthier SG change the maths?
If you have a chronic condition, enrolling in Healthier SG with a regular family doctor is usually the single biggest lever on your out-of-pocket cost. Under the Healthier SG Chronic Tier:
- Whitelisted chronic medications are heavily subsidised at your enrolled clinic — CHAS cardholders can receive means-tested subsidies of up to 87.5% on these medicines, with no dollar cap.
- Up to $360 per year in subsidy is available for other chronic-care components, such as consultations, lab tests, and non-whitelisted medications.
- The 15% MediSave cash co-payment is waived for chronic treatments received at your enrolled Healthier SG clinic.
The catch is that these enhanced subsidies apply only at the clinic you are enrolled with, and for your chronic condition. That is the trade-off of the scheme: you build an ongoing relationship with one family doctor — who can then see you by video for stable follow-ups within the CDMP rules — in exchange for the best subsidy rates. For the bigger picture of how telemedicine is regulated and when it is suitable, see our complete telemedicine guide.
How do you actually claim it?
You do not file paperwork yourself — the clinic does the heavy lifting — but it helps to know the flow:
- Use an eligible provider. Confirm the clinic is trained for subsidised video consults (the "(Remote)" tag in the HealthHub directory) and, ideally, is your enrolled Healthier SG clinic.
- Make sure you qualify. The consult must be a chronic follow-up, you must have been seen in person by that doctor within the last 12 months, and it must be a video call.
- Consult and let the clinic apply the subsidies. The clinic claims the CHAS Chronic subsidy and deducts MediSave (and Flexi-MediSave if you are 60+) at the prevailing limits; you settle the cash co-payment, if any.
- Keep your records current. Bring your latest readings and medication list so the doctor can prescribe and order tests — your medication can then be delivered after the teleconsult the same day.
A worked illustration: how the layers stack
Imagine a 64-year-old with stable diabetes and high blood pressure who has seen his family doctor in person three months ago, and is enrolled in Healthier SG at that clinic. For his next routine review, done by video:
- CHAS Chronic subsidy reduces the subsidised portion of the consult, tests, and listed medicines.
- Healthier SG subsidises his whitelisted chronic medicines by up to 87.5% with no dollar cap, and covers other components up to $360 a year.
- MediSave can be used for the balance up to his annual chronic limit, and because the care is at his enrolled Healthier SG clinic, the usual 15% cash co-payment is waived.
The exact figures depend on his CHAS card colour, his specific medicines, and his clinic's fees, so this is an illustration of the mechanics rather than a quote. The takeaway is that for a stable, enrolled chronic patient, a subsidised video follow-up can cost very little out of pocket — a different proposition entirely from the private acute teleconsult.
Sources reviewed
- MOH: Expansion of CHAS Chronic subsidy and MediSave for video consultation to all chronic conditions under the CDMP
- CHAS FAQ: subsidies, video consultations, and acute conditions
- CPF Board: Using MediSave for outpatient treatments (CDMP limits and 15% co-payment)
- MOH: Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) and condition list
- MOH: Committee of Supply 2026 — higher MediSave Chronic and Preventive Care limits from January 2027
- CPF Board: Outpatient Flexi-MediSave for those aged 60 and above
- Healthier SG: Chronic Tier subsidies
Frequently asked questions
Can I use MediSave or CHAS for an online doctor consult?
Not for acute illness like a cold, cough, or a sick-day MC — those video consults are paid privately in full. MediSave and the CHAS Chronic subsidy can be used only for video consultations that are regular follow-ups of a chronic condition under the CDMP, and only if you have seen that doctor in person within the last 12 months at a participating "(Remote)" provider.
Why is my flu teleconsult not covered by CHAS?
Because CHAS subsidies for acute conditions are tied to being seen in person. The CHAS FAQ states the subsidies "will not cover video consultations for acute conditions, such as common cold or cough." You would need an in-person visit to use CHAS Acute, so on-demand teleconsults for acute illness are private-pay.
How much MediSave can I use for chronic care?
Currently up to $500 per patient per year for non-complex chronic conditions, or $700 for complex chronic conditions, with a 15% cash co-payment. From 1 January 2027 these limits rise to $700 and $1,000 respectively under the renamed MediSave Chronic and Preventive Care scheme.
Is the 15% cash co-payment always charged?
No. A 15% cash co-payment applies to MediSave chronic claims, except for treatments received at your enrolled Healthier SG clinic, where it is waived. Enrolling in Healthier SG with your regular doctor is the main way to remove that cash portion.
Do I need to have seen the doctor in person first?
Yes. For a subsidised video follow-up, you must have had at least one in-person consultation with that same medical practitioner within the last 12 months, so they can confirm you are suitable for video care. A first-ever consult or a brand-new problem cannot be done as a subsidised video consult.
How often can I claim a subsidised video consultation?
Sparingly. Patients are expected to make around four visits a year for a chronic condition, and there should generally be no more than three video-consultation episodes per year — the remaining visits are seen in person.
What is Flexi-MediSave and can I use it for a teleconsult?
Flexi-MediSave lets Singaporeans aged 60 and above use up to $400 a year (raised from $300 on 1 October 2025) of their own or their spouse's MediSave for outpatient treatments at polyclinics, public-hospital SOCs, and CHAS GP clinics. It can be applied to qualifying outpatient and video-consultation costs as a top-up.
Which chronic conditions are covered?
The CDMP covers 23 chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, asthma, COPD, chronic kidney disease, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, gout, and several mental-health conditions. Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are being added from January 2027. The full current list is on MOH's CDMP page.
