The Straits Times, Published on Aug 27, 2014
Patients have reason to worry
THERE has been a flurry of letters recently on soaring private health-care costs in Singapore. Doctors themselves have different viewpoints on the reasons for this.
I am afraid that our health-care system will mirror that in the United States, where costs have gone out of control.
In December last year, I underwent minor surgery at my friend's private clinic. The first thing an administrative staff member asked me was whether I would be making an insurance claim. If I was, she would charge me the "full rate". If not, she would charge me the rate set by my friend.
According to her, the doctor had given me a "hefty discount" as I was her friend. I did not share this episode with my friend as I was very grateful to her for helping me with my procedure.
That, however, got me thinking:
Doctors out there can charge different rates depending on whether the bill would be covered by insurance.
Then, in March this year, I visited a dentist for a regular check-up. He said I had nine cavities and that it would cost $900 to fix them.
I was surprised at how quickly my teeth had deteriorated as I had visited a dentist only six months ago.
I decided to seek a second opinion. To my relief, the second dentist told me my teeth were not in such bad shape.
If different dentists can diagnose my condition so differently, I should be really worried if I had bigger medical issues.
To all the medical professionals out there, here is a short extract from the poignant Hippocratic Oath that you have taken: "I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures that are required, avoiding those twin traps of over-treatment and therapeutic nihilism.
"I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug."
Loh Shurn Lin (Madam)
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Patients have reason to worry
