A new free online tool allows Singaporeans to make their palliative care plans conveniently without seeing a facilitator.
Singapore's Ministry of Health, together with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and the Government Technology Agency, created the digital Advance Care Planning tool called myACP.
Singaporeans are encouraged to plan how they want to be cared for in the event they become unable to decide for themselves.
Based on a media release, the myACP tool guides users to document their care preferences for end-of-life care, which include medical treatment approaches, daily care needs, preferences for hygiene, companionship, and religious requirements. It also asks them to indicate their priorities between comfort care and life-sustaining treatments.
The digital tool is available to Singaporeans aged 21 and above, and with no existing serious illness, such as cancer or dementia, the MOH noted. They are also to nominate two spokespersons who will convey their care preferences in the future.
Meanwhile, others who opt not to use myACP can still seek assistance at AIC's community nodes.
WHY IT MATTERS
The MOH is collaborating with other government agencies on a multi-year campaign promoting awareness of advance care planning.
As of July 2025, 77,000 advance care plans have been completed in the country, increasing by 40% from the period between 2011 and 2024. "This growth reflects increasing awareness of the importance of legacy planning," the ministry claimed.
THE LARGER CONTEXT
In 2023, the Singaporean MOH launched its national strategy to enhance and expand palliative care in the country. Since then, it has increased inpatient hospice beds to 300 and home palliative care places to nearly 3,000.
Public hospitals have implemented standardised protocols for compassionate discharge, and an equipment rental scheme has been launched to support the needs of patients discharged for home palliative care. They have also worked with nursing homes to develop end-of-life care capabilities.
Moreover, the MOH raised the daily health insurance claim limits for inpatient palliative care and removed the lifetime withdrawal limit for all home palliative and day hospice patients who use their MediSave medical savings.
The MOH noted a decline in hospital deaths from 62.5% two to three years ago to 59.8% last year. "This translates to thousands of Singaporeans being able to spend their final days in their preferred setting outside of hospitals," it said. The ministry targets to further bring the number down to 51% by 2027.
Meanwhile, this launch of the digital advance care planning tool follows that of a similar online tool for health insurance planning. The Health Insurance Planner on the Central Provident Fund board website allows Singaporeans to visualise their medical savings and health insurance premiums, compare private insurance plans, and project the premiums of their chosen plan.
