8/14/2013

Making health care more affordable

Another crap exercise is going on. So far the solutions thrown out are as good as what the pimps and prostitutes can offer. In fact the pimps and prostitutes may offer crap solutions, but they came with some pleasure added to soften the impact. So, let’s listen to the rubbish that is being spewed around. Make the young pay more or pay upfront so that when they are old they need to pay lesser or not at all. Soon they will say let’s pay forward from the moment a child is born to make it affordable.
 

Is this a real solution, serious solution, to making health care more affordable? Why are they not thinking about reducing the exorbitant charges and fees? The solutions did not bother about the overcharging and the ever increasing charges that could be slammed at the helpless patients. The sick got in not knowing how much to pay and the bill will come after, at the discretion and mercy of the medical professionals. And the patients just have to pay up. Is there any difference from allowing someone to fill up a blank cheque?
 

This kind of solution is exactly a carbon copy of the HDB solution. If 15 year repayment is not affordable, stretch it to 30 years. If this is still not affordable, stretch it to 45 years. And if still not affordable, get both spouses to pay, and get the father, mother and children to pay also can. Sure affordable.
 

See, the pimps and prostitutes cannot do worse with this kind of brilliant solutions.

32 comments:

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Go private. No problem.

Anonymous said...

Time to send the political leaders to catch spider and fly kite.
The Craps from them are getting more unbearable by the day.

Anonymous said...

Your exasperation and disbelief with these overpaid hacks is rising like a crescendo. Nothing will make the deaf frogs listen. Time for change.

so1trg said...

Its problematic when you let companies profit from healthcare (a public goods?)

If Healthcare is nationalized with the users (Citizens to PRs to people on long term visas) paying for it and a centralised unit managing the expenses and claims, i believe premiums can be controlled from spiralling in the long term.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

No way to control if the medical professionals are allowed to write their own pay checks with no limits. At least the govt hospitals, forget about the deception that they are private, must manage and control the fees charged to the patients.

The whole medical profession must be reviewed, allowing them to make millions in their private capacity but doing national service in govt hospitals with a quota on their time.

Anonymous said...

To have healthcare affordable IS VERY EASY........

Create a new tax (MEDITAX) as part of income tax or like GST .......rather than spending so much money in properties and cars.... healthcare in more important!

When they grow old, they have peace of mind as healthcare for those 60/65 above would be free....only the basic C/B2 CLASSES only, if want higher classes....PAY PAY PAY .......

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

I see so far no one is able to solve this.

Why? Because in a public system, you have to tax someone to be able to pay for the treatment of someone else. "Subsidies" don't grow on trees -- they come out of peoples' wallets.

When you go private -- there are no illusions. You know the doctor and his practice are in it for the money. They like money, so they'll do a good job so that they get a reputation for doing a good job, which in turn makes them more money.

I want the guy/ gal treating me to be rich and happy, and not work too hard until he/ she is stressed out all the time. Compare that to a doctor who is pissed off, earns less and is jealous and angry..., and tired from over work. No thanks, don't fucking touch me !

Go private. No problems. On the odd occasion there are problems: sue, or change doctors.

Grassroot Leader said...

jeepers, guys, healthcare in Singapore is not expensive at all; in fact it's very affordable! Have you forgotten a minister only paid $8 for his heart bypass, not too long ago? Unbelievable? Cannot be, for it was reported all over the shitty times, the purveyor of all things good and true in Singapore. So please stop worrying, lah! If a minister pay only 8 bucks for a major operation, what more we of the plebian class.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi Grassroot Leader welcome to the blog. You are right. Why should they be worried about health care being unaffordable when it is very affordable?

As for Matilah's suggestion, go private. Seriously, if all the govt hospitals go private, real private and charge as they like, what do you think would be the situation like?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

redbean:

I just paid our PRIVATE medical insurance for the year. Top cover -- for everything, hospital, operation, dental, physio, psychiatry (in case I go mad...oops...already there!) AUD 3k.

Perhaps you can elucidate: How much does one pay in Singapore? I'm not talking MediSave (another ponzi scheme) , I'm asking about greedy-profit-centered private medical insurance.

On top of private health cover, there's the mandatory "Medicare Levy" (tax!) of 1.5% per year.

All in all, about AUD5-6k a year for both private and public medical insurance for family. (At current exchange ~ SGD 6-7+ k.

Welcome to Australia. Pay until your ass bleeds.

Singaporeans, count your blessing lah!

Anonymous said...

Here's an innovative solution to bring down healthcare cost.

Example:
Singaporeans provide a a piece of public land freely for the use of any organization to build a hospital.
A global tender will be called. And the winner will be organization that can provide hospital services to Singaporeans at the cheapest, bestest fastest standard.
Cost of building the hospital will be borne by the winner of the tender.
The land will still belong to Singapore.

- I say Singaporeans and not PAP gahmen to emphasize that public land in Singapore belongs to Sinbgaporeans and not the PAP gahmen.
- A global tender because we want to get genuine global talent here.
Not the half baked $2 company type talent.
Or some Generals with no medical experience to run our hospital.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

redbean:

>> if all the govt hospitals go private, real private and charge as they like, what do you think would be the situation like?

Sure they can charge what they like, but there's no guarantee they'd get it ;-)

In a private, free market there's always PRICE COMPETITION.

Having both private and public sector makes costs higher. Public health systems cost a bomb to run -- govt inefficiency. Also because of "subsidies", they are often overwhelmed (aka "Tragedy of The Commons"), thus giving a "free kick" to the private sector to lump on the premiums.

In this 2 tier system you have NUH, and then you have the Gleneagles and Mt Elizabeth. Nothing "in between" -- either -- subsidised, or very expensive.

In a private market, chance are you'll get a VARIETY of hospitals. Why? Because the entrepreneurs who own and run them have to "meet the market" -- i.e. make sure that their services are within reach of their CUSTOMERS.

Go private. All the way. Much better for all.

Anonymous said...

Why cant we start the MEDITAX?

Do away the GST! Replace it with MEDITAX!

With MEDITAX, healthcare beyond 60/65 would be free for B2/C classes only for all singaporeans. Higher classes or private class have to pay the different.

If policy makers truly love your fellow singaporeans, consider MEDITAX now!

We can then have a peace of mind!

b said...

The medical industry must be treated like any other industries such as the construction industry - no cure no pay policy. The medical and legal industries are real scumbag industries - getting paid without having to solve problems.

Going private is a solution only if there is a lot of players - everyone fighting for a slice of the pie. However, it is not a good solution if there are only few players (ie they are utimately owned by same family) - they formed cartel and screwed every patient like in most first world countries.

Anonymous said...

To make healthcare more affordable, old folks like LKY must retire instead of creating such a big burden for the taxpayers to pay him minister pay and bonus without doing his duties and still have to accord him with personal health assistants to attend to his every needs including walking a few steps, peeing, pooing etc.

Anonymous said...

In additional, he should shut his big mouth so no need to employ security guards paid by tax payers for him because he offended so many people with his big mouth. He is breaching the constitution each time he opened his big mouth cos more money to spend security him due to his offending messages.

Anonymous said...

/// To make healthcare more affordable, old folks like LKY must retire instead ... ///

WTF?
You think a PAP gahmen is elected to serve Singaporeans ah?
We elect a PAP gahmen to serve PAP.
If LKY is not PAP, then who is PAP?
You tell me lah!

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi guys and gals, and Matilah in particular, if you people can remember, we used to have many free medical services in the past, no subsidies, but the govt did not go bankrupt. There were no abuses. And there was no need to make an appointment to see a doctor 6 mths or 1 year in advance.

Why?

Anonymous said...

This is not a crap solution, RB, it is in fact brilliant - the kind that super talent, super $$$ higher mortals can think of.

If they bring down the cost of healthcare, very soon there will not be enough in the coffers to pay them $$$. To ensure that there is enough for their $$$ salaries, tax everyone, working or non-working, born or unborn, dead or alive, with the excuse of affordable FUTURE costs.

Saycheese

Anonymous said...

Why? because the gov is paid more modestly. Now with coe, erp, gst, levies, stamp duties also not enough to pay the obscene wages of the gov and so they are thinking of using escalating medical costs to squeeze more out of everyone.

Anonymous said...

I am a healthy adult.
Because gahmen hospital C class is heavily subsidized.
And I got nothing better to do.
So that means I will check myself into "subsidized" hospital to abuse the subsidy is it?

What the fuck!!!???
What about a fucking senile old fart checking himself into the Istana to spend his final years?

patriot said...

Not only talented;
we got very creative
and
scheming rulers.

patriot

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

redbean,

We also used to have free local phone calls ;-)

Seriously, I remember the fucked-up "bad old days". I used to hate going to GH to visit sick and especially dying family and friends. What a depressing place. It reeked of "government austerity". NOBODY would go to GH if they had the financial means and thus could avoid the shitty experience.

People would bite the bullet and accept the expense of going to Mt Alvernia, Gleneagles or Youngberg Memorial.

Other depressing places were the old KK. Tan Tock Seng was a shithole -- an insult to the great Singaporean entrepreneur-philanthropist.

The "best" hospital was probably Alexander -- an inheritance from the British military.

But today, Singapore's PUBLIC hospitals -- add to the list Changi General and Khoo Teck Puat (fucking place looks like a hotel, might as well call it "Goodwood") are top quality and the care delivered: world class.

In the "bad old days", you'd better be amongst the "fortunate few" who could afford to have that critical life-saving surgery or cancer treatment done overseas (because no one could do it locally), now people come to Singapore for medical treatment.

Those days no such thing as cheap airfares or "frequent flyer" miles. Nevermind paying for overseas medical treatment at a time when the Sing Dollar was not a strong currency: 3 to 1 for the US dollar, 8.50 to 1 for the British pound; you also had to shell out thousands of dollars on airfare -- for you and your travel companion who is there to look after you.

And don't forget the tax rate at the time: over 40%!!

Singapore's public health quality has leaped frog from the 1960's to the 1980's. An enormous amount of money was spent, and the spending keeps going on.

I would take a Singapore public hospital over the Australian equivalent any fucking day.

Don't knock it. Singapore's public health cost-to-user is VERY REASONABLE.

Just pay. It is your darn life. Or the life of someone precious to you. So what if you find it "expensive"?

Man, you fuckers don't recognize a blessing when it appears. A very sad situation indeed.

It's only MONEY -- which if you lose some due to unexpected expenses, it is not the end of the world. You can, or someone in your family can, always go out and make some more.

Anonymous said...

All the first world country elite masters are screwing the people in the name of 'high medical costs' via hospitals and insurance providers. Building costs all over the world is just getting cheaper and cheaper each day. Pre fab material are highly used that have significantly reduced the costs of buildings in this era. Labour costs are simply third world wages in the hospitals. What is the most expensive costs in running the hospitals? it is the non essential management costs and is recovered from all the patients - rich or poor. This world is full of bullshits.

Anonymous said...

Any healthcare reform these days only seek to make the elite masters much much richer and the ordinary to pay until they bankrupt and never get to enjoy any of the so called 'better' service.

Anonymous said...

Matilar, if sinkie land is that damn good, what the fuck are you doing down under, don't tell me u go there just to screw the kangaroo girls. For that one, they are available in sinkie land already.

Anonymous said...

Well, matilar is middle age and viagra can make him feels like 25 yr old, so he can afford to talk big. Also bcos he employs and makes others to make money for him.
One day shud he news intensive medical treatment and or viagra helps him no more, he may not talk like he is doing now.
Who knows?

Anonymous said...

How to make healthcare more affordable?

VOTE OPPOSITION!

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

My dear fans, please enjoy all your speculation about me, my personal choices, sex life, business, state of health and eventual death.

Perhaps you might be better off if you focused on the same aspects on your obviously sorry and unremarkable lives. It's wonderful that you bring up health and death. Health - - physical and mental health are probably the most important factors in your experience of life. If you have your health, you can just about handle any curved ball life throws at you. If you don't, then very soon it's "game over".

One day, even if you've lived well, your physical and mental health will decline and there's nothing you can do about it. Or death can occur suddenly - - for no apparent reason. In any case, no one gets out of life alive.

So if you want to waste your time feeling lousy, and constantly complaining about how fucked up the world and humans are, please enjoy your neuroses and misery with my full support and blessings :-)

Me? I'll be making the most out of the imperfections in humanity and the
we live on until the Grim Reaper pays a visit. And I won't be going quietly either - - if I'm conscious. I'll be kicking and screaming as I shed my mortal coil. I will not surrender to any authority, not even death.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@1140:

>> what the fuck are you doing down under

Lots of things. But mainly because I like western culture, science and engineering, the outdoors and the beach.

I also get to write silly blog posts tekanning the hordes (herd) of ji bai kia spoilt, wealthySingaporeans who don't have a CLUE about what real "hardship" is like, and shoot their pussy-assed mouths off in failed attempts to convince themselves and the rest of the world that they are "victims" -- especially of an "evil government".

Hope that answers your question.

Anonymous said...

The PAP sets the trap, the citizens will fall into it.

What makes me cringe is that they are telling us that allowing more uses for medisave is making healthcare more affordable, not that the Government is going to subsidise more.

In this way, there is again the grey area of how much will the medisave ceiling be in future, knowing that, like the minimum sum, the sky is going to be the limit for medisave when they start arguing for increases in contribution that knows no bounds.

We will all die standing if that is the idea behind the solution. When the PAP sets a trap, chances are daft Singaporeans will fall head over heels into it.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@108:

>> there is again the grey area of how much will the medisave ceiling be in future

Where's the "grey area". It is as plain as black and white. Costs WILL rise in the future. Demands on the health system WILL increase. Only a BLOODY FOOL would believe that Medisave "contributions" will not increase.

CPF/ Medisave are tax-funded Ponzi Schemes. The government can do anything it likes to keep the books balanced. In fact, that's what a fiscally responsible government would do -- FORCE people to pay, by fair means or foul, so that public accounts stay in the black, and thus are sustainable.

You can delay "market realities". But after sometime, the market will always "win".