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15-09-2013, 06:00 AM
An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:
Medishield only covers $200 of sister’s total nett hospital bill of $3050.20 –premium paid $500 (http://www.transitioning.org/2013/09/09/medishield-only-covers-200-of-sisters-total-nett-hospital-bill-of-3050-20-premium-paid-500/)
Number of View: 1855
http://www.transitioning.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/medishield-heart-truth.jpg
I refer to the article, “Medisave withdrawal limits for MediShield, Integrated Shield to go up from November”, Todayonline, 7 Sep 2013 – link
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...ld-go-november (http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/medisave-withdrawal-limits-medishield-integrated-shield-go-november) .
It is noted that the Medisave premiums for the affected groups (mainly the elderly Singaporeans or the “Pioneer Generation” as PM Lee called them in his NDR2013) will go up to cater to the changes in coverage in Medishield Life.
While everyone seemed to focus on the new extended Medishield Life coverage (besides coverage beyond 90 years old), I seriously question if at the end of the day when the need to claim on the Medishield (should hospitalization occur), the patient may end up shouldering the bulk of the medical expenses, as in the case of my sister who ended up shouldering some 93.5% of her SGH bill as Medishield only paid for 6.5% (or $200) of her $3020.50 bill.
Mind you, she has been paying >$500 a year in premiums (soon to go up to $1200 a year wef 1st Nov 2013) from her Medisave (for the last20 years or more?), so her premium contribution over the years easily amount to more than $10,000 ($500 x 20 years), but when she needed to claim under Medishield (she had hardly ever needed to claim under Medishield before this recent claim, if I can recall correctly), she could only claim a miserable $200?
From her example, I think the Medishield scheme is a rip-off! If an audit were to be done, I am sure the surplus in Medishield must be huge since it is so difficult to claim under its stringent claim policies?
Therefore, all this talk of recognising the Pioneer Generations’ (not to mention NSmen’s and other Singaporeans) contribution to nation building is all lip service.
Just to be clear, my sister was not asking for waiver of the balance of the SGH bill which has to be paid in cash (some $600 – the rest of her $3050 bill was paid through Medisave). What she requested was for the $600 to be paid via her son’s Medisave (as she needed to conserve whatever cash she is left with as she is now long retired), but alas, this was rejected despite many appeals to SGH and MOH.
James
*********
From: “[email protected]” [email protected] ([email protected])
To: Cc: [email protected]; [email protected] ([email protected])
Sent:
Wednesday, August 21, 2013 6:18 PM
Subject:Reply – MOH Public Query PQ-13-005306: Appeal/SGH/Mdm Ho
Dear Mr Ho,
We refer to your appeal to the Ministry of Health on the use of more Medisave to settle your sister’s outstanding bill incurred in Singapore General Hospital.
SGH has earlier notified us of this appeal. We have assessed the appeal and based on the bill size and the patient’s family financial circumstances, we are unable to accede to the appeal for an additional Medisave use.
Nonetheless, we do suggest that the patient’s family work out an appropriate instalment plan with the SGH for payment of the outstanding amount.
However, if family still experiences financial difficulty to settle the bill, they can approach the Medical Social Workers at SGH for financial assistance.
The MSW will assess the application and accord the appropriate assistance on a case-by-case basis.
For your convenience, we are copying SGH in this email so that they can follow up and discuss with the family on the possible avenues of assistance available to your sister.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Yusnita Helmi for Quality Service Manager Ministry of Health, Singapore
**********
Sent: Tuesday, 20 August, 2013 3:04 PM
To: MOH QSM (MOH)
Cc: Ching Yee TAN (MOH); Lilian NG (MOH); [email protected] ([email protected])
Subject: SGH bill
20 Aug 2013
To: MOH – QSM
cc: MOH (Perm Sec/PA to Minister Gan)
cc: SGH Business Office via [email protected] (please re-direct to Business Office, thanks)
I am the brother of the patient, Mdm Ho (NRIC S0—20J) who was warded at SGH in April 2013. Her bill is attached for easy reference.
I have been appealing on her behalf to have the outstanding amount of $600.22 to be paid via one of her son’s Medisave instead of cash as required by SGH.
As explained to SGH Business Office’s Shirley Yeo, the patient thought that she was to be warded in Class C (which she wanted as it is the cheapest with highest subsidy) but she was eventually upgraded to B ward due to shortage of C wards. However, due to misunderstanding and/or miscommunication between the Admissions and her elder son (who is a taxi driver), SGH placed her under B ward instead – hence the lower deductible, as I understand from CPF.
I would like to add that even for educated graduates, the implications of claims and deductibles under Medisave and Medishield still boggle the mind given its complicated structure – if not clearly and thoroughly explained to the patient!
As the Prime Minister acknowledged in his NDR2013 on Sunday, she belongs to this “pioneer generation” whose CPF/Medisave have been exhausted and hence needs whatever means to alleviate the problem of having to pay her medical expenses in cash. (Please note that she is not asking for waiver of payment but rather for SGH to allow one of her sons to use his Medisave (instead of cash) to pay on her behalf.)
If you note, her total net bill is $3050.22 of which only $200 is deductible from Medishield (for which she pays more than $500 in premiums yearly as I understand form CPF).
So, the Medishield covers only some 6.5% of her total net bill while the balance 93.5% has to be borne out-of-pocket (including Medisave “technically out-of-pocket”.
(Note: For comparison, please refer to attached article below on the out-of-pocket expenses spent by Singaporeans vs residents in HK, South Korea, Taiwan, etc… – “HEALTHCARE FINANCING: TWEAKS OR TRICKS?”)
Shirley said that SGH has rejected her appeal, hence this email to MOH for your kind consideration to allow her son to use his CPF to pay for the mother’s outstanding amount of $600.22.
Thank you
Rgds
James
- See more at: http://www.transitioning.org/2013/09....GrD5klCW.dpuf (http://www.transitioning.org/2013/09/09/medishield-only-covers-200-of-sisters-total-nett-hospital-bill-of-3050-20-premium-paid-500/#sthash.GrD5klCW.dpuf)
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://sammyboy.com/showthread.php?163173-Medishield-only-covers-200-of-sister’s-total-nett-hospital-bill-of-3050-20-–premium&goto=newpost).
Medishield only covers $200 of sister’s total nett hospital bill of $3050.20 –premium paid $500 (http://www.transitioning.org/2013/09/09/medishield-only-covers-200-of-sisters-total-nett-hospital-bill-of-3050-20-premium-paid-500/)
Number of View: 1855
http://www.transitioning.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/medishield-heart-truth.jpg
I refer to the article, “Medisave withdrawal limits for MediShield, Integrated Shield to go up from November”, Todayonline, 7 Sep 2013 – link
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...ld-go-november (http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/medisave-withdrawal-limits-medishield-integrated-shield-go-november) .
It is noted that the Medisave premiums for the affected groups (mainly the elderly Singaporeans or the “Pioneer Generation” as PM Lee called them in his NDR2013) will go up to cater to the changes in coverage in Medishield Life.
While everyone seemed to focus on the new extended Medishield Life coverage (besides coverage beyond 90 years old), I seriously question if at the end of the day when the need to claim on the Medishield (should hospitalization occur), the patient may end up shouldering the bulk of the medical expenses, as in the case of my sister who ended up shouldering some 93.5% of her SGH bill as Medishield only paid for 6.5% (or $200) of her $3020.50 bill.
Mind you, she has been paying >$500 a year in premiums (soon to go up to $1200 a year wef 1st Nov 2013) from her Medisave (for the last20 years or more?), so her premium contribution over the years easily amount to more than $10,000 ($500 x 20 years), but when she needed to claim under Medishield (she had hardly ever needed to claim under Medishield before this recent claim, if I can recall correctly), she could only claim a miserable $200?
From her example, I think the Medishield scheme is a rip-off! If an audit were to be done, I am sure the surplus in Medishield must be huge since it is so difficult to claim under its stringent claim policies?
Therefore, all this talk of recognising the Pioneer Generations’ (not to mention NSmen’s and other Singaporeans) contribution to nation building is all lip service.
Just to be clear, my sister was not asking for waiver of the balance of the SGH bill which has to be paid in cash (some $600 – the rest of her $3050 bill was paid through Medisave). What she requested was for the $600 to be paid via her son’s Medisave (as she needed to conserve whatever cash she is left with as she is now long retired), but alas, this was rejected despite many appeals to SGH and MOH.
James
*********
From: “[email protected]” [email protected] ([email protected])
To: Cc: [email protected]; [email protected] ([email protected])
Sent:
Wednesday, August 21, 2013 6:18 PM
Subject:Reply – MOH Public Query PQ-13-005306: Appeal/SGH/Mdm Ho
Dear Mr Ho,
We refer to your appeal to the Ministry of Health on the use of more Medisave to settle your sister’s outstanding bill incurred in Singapore General Hospital.
SGH has earlier notified us of this appeal. We have assessed the appeal and based on the bill size and the patient’s family financial circumstances, we are unable to accede to the appeal for an additional Medisave use.
Nonetheless, we do suggest that the patient’s family work out an appropriate instalment plan with the SGH for payment of the outstanding amount.
However, if family still experiences financial difficulty to settle the bill, they can approach the Medical Social Workers at SGH for financial assistance.
The MSW will assess the application and accord the appropriate assistance on a case-by-case basis.
For your convenience, we are copying SGH in this email so that they can follow up and discuss with the family on the possible avenues of assistance available to your sister.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Yusnita Helmi for Quality Service Manager Ministry of Health, Singapore
**********
Sent: Tuesday, 20 August, 2013 3:04 PM
To: MOH QSM (MOH)
Cc: Ching Yee TAN (MOH); Lilian NG (MOH); [email protected] ([email protected])
Subject: SGH bill
20 Aug 2013
To: MOH – QSM
cc: MOH (Perm Sec/PA to Minister Gan)
cc: SGH Business Office via [email protected] (please re-direct to Business Office, thanks)
I am the brother of the patient, Mdm Ho (NRIC S0—20J) who was warded at SGH in April 2013. Her bill is attached for easy reference.
I have been appealing on her behalf to have the outstanding amount of $600.22 to be paid via one of her son’s Medisave instead of cash as required by SGH.
As explained to SGH Business Office’s Shirley Yeo, the patient thought that she was to be warded in Class C (which she wanted as it is the cheapest with highest subsidy) but she was eventually upgraded to B ward due to shortage of C wards. However, due to misunderstanding and/or miscommunication between the Admissions and her elder son (who is a taxi driver), SGH placed her under B ward instead – hence the lower deductible, as I understand from CPF.
I would like to add that even for educated graduates, the implications of claims and deductibles under Medisave and Medishield still boggle the mind given its complicated structure – if not clearly and thoroughly explained to the patient!
As the Prime Minister acknowledged in his NDR2013 on Sunday, she belongs to this “pioneer generation” whose CPF/Medisave have been exhausted and hence needs whatever means to alleviate the problem of having to pay her medical expenses in cash. (Please note that she is not asking for waiver of payment but rather for SGH to allow one of her sons to use his Medisave (instead of cash) to pay on her behalf.)
If you note, her total net bill is $3050.22 of which only $200 is deductible from Medishield (for which she pays more than $500 in premiums yearly as I understand form CPF).
So, the Medishield covers only some 6.5% of her total net bill while the balance 93.5% has to be borne out-of-pocket (including Medisave “technically out-of-pocket”.
(Note: For comparison, please refer to attached article below on the out-of-pocket expenses spent by Singaporeans vs residents in HK, South Korea, Taiwan, etc… – “HEALTHCARE FINANCING: TWEAKS OR TRICKS?”)
Shirley said that SGH has rejected her appeal, hence this email to MOH for your kind consideration to allow her son to use his CPF to pay for the mother’s outstanding amount of $600.22.
Thank you
Rgds
James
- See more at: http://www.transitioning.org/2013/09....GrD5klCW.dpuf (http://www.transitioning.org/2013/09/09/medishield-only-covers-200-of-sisters-total-nett-hospital-bill-of-3050-20-premium-paid-500/#sthash.GrD5klCW.dpuf)
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://sammyboy.com/showthread.php?163173-Medishield-only-covers-200-of-sister’s-total-nett-hospital-bill-of-3050-20-–premium&goto=newpost).