27 March 2019
SINGAPORE, 27 March 2019 - NTUC Income (Income) and DaVita announced today a joint venture (JV), DaVita Singapore, to operate kidney dialysis centres in Singapore. The dialysis centres operated by the JV will serve as Income’s preferred healthcare facilities, akin to its panel of private specialists.
The JV will also include NTUC Health to leverage their position as a leading provider of health and eldercare services in Singapore. This collaboration between an insurer, healthcare provider and community care provider is a first in Singapore.
Mr Andrew Yeo, General Manager for Life & Health Insurance at Income, said: “With this industry-first collaboration, Income goes beyond its role as payer to become an enabler in the healthcare ecosystem. Similar to medical panels which are known to be effective in calibrating and managing the fees of healthcare providers, Income aims to achieve more via a value-based and outcome-driven approach that will underpin our panel of healthcare facilities, starting with the dialysis centres. Our latest effort is aligned with recommendations by the Health Insurance Task Force, which encourage all stakeholders in Singapore’s healthcare ecosystem to play a more active role in ensuring that healthcare and health insurance remain accessible and sustainable in Singapore.”
Dr. Joseph Soon, President of Asia Pacific at DaVita International, said: “We are honoured to partner with Income and NTUC Health to provide world-class healthcare to patients in Singapore. Together, we share a commitment to provide differentiated care that is judged on the strength of its acknowledged clinical outcomes. We believe this value-based, outcome-led approach will bring benefits to patients while positively impact sustainable healthcare and health insurance in Singapore.”
According to the National Kidney Foundation, Singapore currently ranks fourth in the world for prevalence of kidney failure and first for diabetes-induced kidney failure, a condition that becomes more prevalent as age progresses.
In Singapore, the average age of patients with kidney failure is above 60 years old. In this regard, NTUC Health is able to complement the JV with its experience in keeping seniors healthy and helping them age in place through its strong network of active-ageing, home-care, senior day care, day rehabilitation and nursing home services.
For patients suffering from kidney disease, the cost of treatment and patient non-compliance to prescribed treatment plan can compromise treatment outcome, which can lead to hospital admission for acute disease management and sometimes, even death.
Mr Yeo added: “Patients undergoing kidney dialysis is growing 6% year on year according to the Singapore Renal Registry and our claims experience related to kidney disease also reflects a similar trend. As such, Income saw a strategic opportunity to influence kidney disease management in Singapore via a holistic and sustainable approach that focuses on achieving positive treatment outcome and cost efficiency, underpinned by strong patient and community education to raise awareness about disease prevention and care. To effect this vision, we are glad to tap on DaVita’s track record in partnering patients to increase care plan adherence by addressing barriers to care and preventing unnecessary inpatient admissions related to chronic diseases, as well as, NTUC Health’s extensive community care experience.”
The JV is set to open two dialysis centres by mid-2019 and they will serve patients beyond IncomeShield policyholders.
The JV will also include NTUC Health to leverage their position as a leading provider of health and eldercare services in Singapore. This collaboration between an insurer, healthcare provider and community care provider is a first in Singapore.
Mr Andrew Yeo, General Manager for Life & Health Insurance at Income, said: “With this industry-first collaboration, Income goes beyond its role as payer to become an enabler in the healthcare ecosystem. Similar to medical panels which are known to be effective in calibrating and managing the fees of healthcare providers, Income aims to achieve more via a value-based and outcome-driven approach that will underpin our panel of healthcare facilities, starting with the dialysis centres. Our latest effort is aligned with recommendations by the Health Insurance Task Force, which encourage all stakeholders in Singapore’s healthcare ecosystem to play a more active role in ensuring that healthcare and health insurance remain accessible and sustainable in Singapore.”
Dr. Joseph Soon, President of Asia Pacific at DaVita International, said: “We are honoured to partner with Income and NTUC Health to provide world-class healthcare to patients in Singapore. Together, we share a commitment to provide differentiated care that is judged on the strength of its acknowledged clinical outcomes. We believe this value-based, outcome-led approach will bring benefits to patients while positively impact sustainable healthcare and health insurance in Singapore.”
According to the National Kidney Foundation, Singapore currently ranks fourth in the world for prevalence of kidney failure and first for diabetes-induced kidney failure, a condition that becomes more prevalent as age progresses.
In Singapore, the average age of patients with kidney failure is above 60 years old. In this regard, NTUC Health is able to complement the JV with its experience in keeping seniors healthy and helping them age in place through its strong network of active-ageing, home-care, senior day care, day rehabilitation and nursing home services.
For patients suffering from kidney disease, the cost of treatment and patient non-compliance to prescribed treatment plan can compromise treatment outcome, which can lead to hospital admission for acute disease management and sometimes, even death.
Mr Yeo added: “Patients undergoing kidney dialysis is growing 6% year on year according to the Singapore Renal Registry and our claims experience related to kidney disease also reflects a similar trend. As such, Income saw a strategic opportunity to influence kidney disease management in Singapore via a holistic and sustainable approach that focuses on achieving positive treatment outcome and cost efficiency, underpinned by strong patient and community education to raise awareness about disease prevention and care. To effect this vision, we are glad to tap on DaVita’s track record in partnering patients to increase care plan adherence by addressing barriers to care and preventing unnecessary inpatient admissions related to chronic diseases, as well as, NTUC Health’s extensive community care experience.”
The JV is set to open two dialysis centres by mid-2019 and they will serve patients beyond IncomeShield policyholders.
