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25-08-2013, 08:00 AM
An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:
I strongly support PM Lee intent to deal with cracks in our medicare systemihe bcases such as not covering every person from the time they are born to death has to be fixed along with those who have per existing conditions. Medical costs has spiral up to a point that financial hardship is enormous if one does not have insurance. It also does not make sense to have such a large segment without insurance because when they get sick and enter emergency doctors have to treat them regardless of whether they have insurance or not - when he bills are generated it becomes an unhappy mess of who to pay, how to pay and in many cases the govt end up holding the bag unless they sue the next of kin for the money.
So it is very clear we need to fix all this before it becomes an even bigger mess. Next question is how.
Based on Obamacare and the debate US has gone through, a working scheme needs the following components:
1. Cover everyone including those with pre existing leave nobody out. Insurance company cannot reject or refuse to cover someone with per existing conditions. There should be no extra premium for these people , if there is it should be capped at a low limit. If insurance companies can choose to load those with pre existing conditions, it defeats the purpose because they can charge so high for pre existing conditions, there is little risk sharing ...
2. It has to be compulsory. Otherwise people will buy insurance only after they discover they are sick because insurance companies cannot reject you.
3. Because it is compulsory govt has to help those without ability to pay premiums .
In order to implement the above 3 components, medishield premiums have to go up and govt has to find revenue to help those who don't have money to enroll now that it is compulsory.
The question of how much medishield need to increase is very hard to answer. Those who criticise PM Lee for being short on details should be mindful that the premium increase for Obamacare only came out recently 3 yrs after it was legislated because Obama delayed the implementation. It is complicated because they have to now take on with per existing conditions ..could be heart problems, Downs syndrome, autism etc each requiring different treatment. ..dont forget medishield now has to cover life not up to 90 yrs whatever it is, Medishield premiums will go up...could increase of 20 to 50% not insignificant otherwise the govt would have already done it.
Many people in good health now will be unhappy because they pay more. This is a case
People want govt to help the sick but don't want the money to come from their own pocket since they are already so heavily burdened by rising cost of living and stagnant wages. So the question is whether govt should use tax revenue to subsidise the increase in premiums.
The govt needs money to pay for those who are too poor to enroll into medishield.
We all want the govt to help the poor, we all want the govt to help the sick ....but how do we pay for all this?
1. Increase in medishield premium to pay for those with pre existing.
2. Increase tax revenue through GST or income tax or corporate tax.
3. Cut excessive defense spending to pay for scheme.
My point is this coming out with the intent to cover everyone for life is long overdue for a developed country...which developed country does not do this except Singapore? In fact the govt has no choice ...the medical cost is rising and due to rising poverty and ageing population, more are falling through the cracks and the social media will not allow these increasing number cases to be suppressed...Singaporeans will move support away from the pap if nothing is done to reform healthcare. While the mainstream media claims this is "epochal" change, they are long overdue changes needed to avert a breakdown of our healthcare system.
The more important issue and the true test of whether the pap has changed its thinking will show in how the pap will fund these changes . Will they raise GST or tax the rich who have benefited disproportionately from from pap policies? What abt defence spending ...is buying cost ineffective F35 more important than helping children with disabilities and ordinary Singaporeans with their healthcare?
The true colors of the pap shows up only when they articulate all these long overdue changes are funded. GST 10% is the last thing Singaporeans want to hear ....because it will immediately tear away the pap facade of wanting a fair and just society. ...it is time to restore social some social equity in the most unequal developed nation in the world. If the pap shows it cannot change, 2016 will leave Singaporeans with no choice but to go for real change..
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?160965-GST-hike-is-political-suicide-for-PAP&goto=newpost).
I strongly support PM Lee intent to deal with cracks in our medicare systemihe bcases such as not covering every person from the time they are born to death has to be fixed along with those who have per existing conditions. Medical costs has spiral up to a point that financial hardship is enormous if one does not have insurance. It also does not make sense to have such a large segment without insurance because when they get sick and enter emergency doctors have to treat them regardless of whether they have insurance or not - when he bills are generated it becomes an unhappy mess of who to pay, how to pay and in many cases the govt end up holding the bag unless they sue the next of kin for the money.
So it is very clear we need to fix all this before it becomes an even bigger mess. Next question is how.
Based on Obamacare and the debate US has gone through, a working scheme needs the following components:
1. Cover everyone including those with pre existing leave nobody out. Insurance company cannot reject or refuse to cover someone with per existing conditions. There should be no extra premium for these people , if there is it should be capped at a low limit. If insurance companies can choose to load those with pre existing conditions, it defeats the purpose because they can charge so high for pre existing conditions, there is little risk sharing ...
2. It has to be compulsory. Otherwise people will buy insurance only after they discover they are sick because insurance companies cannot reject you.
3. Because it is compulsory govt has to help those without ability to pay premiums .
In order to implement the above 3 components, medishield premiums have to go up and govt has to find revenue to help those who don't have money to enroll now that it is compulsory.
The question of how much medishield need to increase is very hard to answer. Those who criticise PM Lee for being short on details should be mindful that the premium increase for Obamacare only came out recently 3 yrs after it was legislated because Obama delayed the implementation. It is complicated because they have to now take on with per existing conditions ..could be heart problems, Downs syndrome, autism etc each requiring different treatment. ..dont forget medishield now has to cover life not up to 90 yrs whatever it is, Medishield premiums will go up...could increase of 20 to 50% not insignificant otherwise the govt would have already done it.
Many people in good health now will be unhappy because they pay more. This is a case
People want govt to help the sick but don't want the money to come from their own pocket since they are already so heavily burdened by rising cost of living and stagnant wages. So the question is whether govt should use tax revenue to subsidise the increase in premiums.
The govt needs money to pay for those who are too poor to enroll into medishield.
We all want the govt to help the poor, we all want the govt to help the sick ....but how do we pay for all this?
1. Increase in medishield premium to pay for those with pre existing.
2. Increase tax revenue through GST or income tax or corporate tax.
3. Cut excessive defense spending to pay for scheme.
My point is this coming out with the intent to cover everyone for life is long overdue for a developed country...which developed country does not do this except Singapore? In fact the govt has no choice ...the medical cost is rising and due to rising poverty and ageing population, more are falling through the cracks and the social media will not allow these increasing number cases to be suppressed...Singaporeans will move support away from the pap if nothing is done to reform healthcare. While the mainstream media claims this is "epochal" change, they are long overdue changes needed to avert a breakdown of our healthcare system.
The more important issue and the true test of whether the pap has changed its thinking will show in how the pap will fund these changes . Will they raise GST or tax the rich who have benefited disproportionately from from pap policies? What abt defence spending ...is buying cost ineffective F35 more important than helping children with disabilities and ordinary Singaporeans with their healthcare?
The true colors of the pap shows up only when they articulate all these long overdue changes are funded. GST 10% is the last thing Singaporeans want to hear ....because it will immediately tear away the pap facade of wanting a fair and just society. ...it is time to restore social some social equity in the most unequal developed nation in the world. If the pap shows it cannot change, 2016 will leave Singaporeans with no choice but to go for real change..
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?160965-GST-hike-is-political-suicide-for-PAP&goto=newpost).