SDP: MOH must tackle root cause of healthcare problems

[Cosmos10]

March 15th, 2013


The SDP welcomes Health Minister Gan Kim Yong’s acknowledgment about high healthcare costs in Singapore. We are also pleased to note that he has take some measures to ease such costs for Singaporeans, in particular:

- making some parts of the recommended National Vaccination program for children free,

- removing the administrative charges for some Medisave use, and

- promising to review healthcare costs for the people.

However, these proposed changes seem to be piecemeal measures that do not tackle the fundamental issues in our healthcare system. The current 3M system of Medisave, Medishield and Medifund will continue to leave a heavy financial burden on Singaporeans.

In its place should be risk pooling in a national health insurance scheme which authorizes evidence-based healthcare. Healthcare provided through such national insurance coverage will make our system universal.

We must jettison the mindset of equating government healthcare expenditure with welfare and waste. Healthcare is a basic human right, not a commodity. Spending on the people’s health is an investment worth making.

As such, the people should be able to expect the Government to shoulder the major part of the nation’s total healthcare expenditure (THE). Presently, the Government’s expends only about 30 percent of the THE. We should bring it to developed country levels of about 70 percent.

This would help ease the pressure on Singaporeans especially when they meet with catastrophic illnesses and require extensive and intensive medical care.

Singaporeans must remember that Medisave is taken from our CPF savings. The funds are quickly depleted when medical bills pile up, either for ourselves or for our parents and/or children. The more we use our Medisave, the less we have for our retirement.

A national insurance scheme like the one we propose in the SDP National Healthcare Plan: Caring For All Singaporeans, where we pool our health risks, is the only way that we can make healthcare not only universal but also affordable and sustainable. http://yoursdp.org/load/the_sdp_national_healthcare_plan/1-1-0-5

Such a system emphasizes the ‘we’ instead of the ‘me’ and builds a compassionate community where we look out for one another.

Paul Tambyah
Patrick Kee
Leong Yan Hoi
Wong Wee Nam
(for the SDP Healthcare Advisory Panel)

http://yoursdp.org/news/moh_must_ta...=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_term=#sdp

 

[Cosmos10]

Paul Tambyah spoke in healthcare forum on 19 February 2013.

Associate Professor Paul Tambyah explained the SDP's position on healthcare reform and called for the Government to shoulder greater responsibility when it comes to national expenditure on medical costs.

He was speaking at a forum titled Healthcare Policy and Values in Singapore, Now and in the Future organised by the Tembusu College, National University of Singapore.

The other speakers were in agreement that the Government's portion of healthcare expenditure was too low. According to a report by Today, even PAP MP Dr Lam Pin Min agreed with the Prof Tambyah that the Government needed to increase its share of the cost.

None of the media reports mentioned that Prof Tambyah was expounding the SDP's healthcare policy which was launch in April last year.

The forum, chaired by Professor Tommy Koh, was held yesterday evening and included Fortis Hospital CEO, Dr Jeremy Lim, and Professor of Healthcare Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Dr Phua Kai Hong.

The speakers were of the view that the 3M system of Medisave, Medishield and Medifund were inadequate to meet the medical needs of Singaporeans.

Professor Tambyah, who is a member of the SDP's Healthcare Advisory Panel and was a potential SDP candidate for the Punggol East by-election, spoke about the Democrats' call for the 3M system to be scrapped and replaced by the a single-payer system called the National Health Investment Fund, or NHIF.

Under this plan, Singaporeans will pay into the NHIF $600 a year for those earning $1,500 and above, $300 for earning below $1,500. This will be deducted from one's CPF account. The amount is a fraction that Singaporeans currently pay into their Medisave account (average of $1,600 a year).

The Government will make up the remainder of the NHIF funds needed to cover the overall national healthcare expenditure.

If hospitalised, a patient pays only 10 percent of the bill from his/her own pocket which is capped at $2,000. The rest of the bill is paid from the NHIF. That is, if the bill is $3,000, the patient pays 10 percent of the total which is $300. If the bill comes up to $20,000 or more, the patient pays $2,000 (10 percent capped at $2,000).

In addition, under the SDP plan, the NHIF pays $10 of the medical bill if one falls ill and visits the family clinic or polyclinic.

The SDP's healthcare plan aims to make healthcare in Singapore universal, affordable and sustainable. Singapore is one of the last few remaining countries in the world that has yet to make healthcare universal.

The PAP runs the healthcare system on a profit-making basis leaving many Singaporeans, especially those in the lower income groups in financial difficult when they fall ill. Many poorer Singaporeans put off seeing the doctor because of expensive medical fees. As a result, their illnesses deteriorate which become more expensive to treat.

The Tembusu forum seems to have been organised as a result of Health Minister Gan Kim Yong's signal to review healthcare costs. Mr Gan's response comes on the heels of the SDP's launch of our healthcare plan.

This is responsible and effective opposition. The SDP will continue to not only point out the shortcomings and failures of the PAP's policies but also draw up solutions to help better the lives of our people. We will continue to work towards being a competent, constructive and compassionate party.

Singapore Democrats

Please read the the entire paper here: The SDP National Healthcare Plan: Caring For All Singaporeans

 

[Hawkeye1819]

how I wish sdp was in Parliament to debate these ideas

such a well researched and professionally presented thesis. but no platform to advance it unless they get voted in.

 

[Cosmos10]

how I wish sdp was in Parliament to debate these ideas

such a well researched and professionally presented thesis. but no platform to advance it unless they get voted in.

Hi brother Hawkeye1819, thank you for your kind and supportive comment.

The SDP has a good team now. They are working hard and looking forward to 2016!

 

[Hawkeye1819]

Hi brother Hawkeye1819, thank you for your kind and supportive comment.

The SDP has a good team now. They are working hard and looking forward to 2016!

No worries, mate, let's just say I support all opposition parties that are doing work for the betterment of Singapore.

I would also urge opposition supporters to learn to read between the words.