SDP's Universal Healthcare

In Today's news (http://www.todayonline.com/voices/s600-year-your-health-sdp), SDP proposed a universal payment of 600SGD every year by all Singaporeans from their CPF into a National Health Investment Fund - basically a national health insurance. (read the article to understand more)

I personally dun see the point of this. The 3M system (Medisave, MediShield and Medifund) is adequate, just require some tweaking and improvement to make it better.

WHAT SDP TRYING TO SOLVE:

- a peace of mind when come to spending for healthcare
- not to use CPF which is a retirement savings for hospital bills (including parents and children's bills)
- create a simpler healthcare system

SOLUTION BY SDP:

- All Singaporeans pay on average 600 SGD from CPF
- Those cannot afford to pay this yearly fee will be contributed by the Govt instead
- Treat healthcare as a basic right of Singaporeans
- Different co-payments for outpatient treatment of acute conditions and serious hospitalisation

All sounding good right (if you think very simply)?

Now read this article on the 3M, to understand what it does: http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/SpecialFocus/Pages/Understanding-Medisave-MediShield-Medifund.aspx

MY QUESTION/DOUBTS ON THE SDP'S PROPOSAL:

- What's the difference from what we are already paying for Medisave via our CPF account? The SDP idea may be over-compensating or even resembles too much of a socialistic mentality (resulting in many people paying a lot more than what they do now)
- Co-payment for serious conditions vs MediShield's insurance plans that help ppl to cover large bills (including up to 80% of hospitalisation fee); Co-payment sounds like we need to pay the cost sum...
- Those of low income group are now protected by Medifund. The SDP solution basically still requires them to pay for their national fund idea; if not then govt help them pay... Somehow something just doesnt feels right on this.
- the "simpler system" may turn out to be too "simplistic".
- SDP's idea did not touch on how they are solving the "used for children and elderly parent's bills" part. I cant supposed they want the children and retired people to contribute to this fund also right? PIAK! back to square one isnt it?

MY SUGGESTIONS :

- Don't take up the SDP idea. But improve the current 3M system
- Anyone who passed away, their medical debt that is borne by their children/next of kin should be halved (or waived, but waiving it will create problems, as people may just choose not to pay the bills); so to not burden them further than the hurt of losing their love one. Furthermore, its only fair since the medical care rendered did not really save the patient's life.
- Allow the usage of CPF OA funds to be used for serious medical problems or huge healthcare fees. What's the point of having savings for retirement when you can live longer enough to touch it? Health must come first, money can earn more later.
- Create a more comprehensive national scheme for retirement --> which I will touch on with another article some day.

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Conclusion:

The threat of ideas that sounds really good, may not really be that good. Political points can be gained with the Oppositions give populist ideas, but not all are valid or a true improvement on the current systems. What SDP had proposed is basically more of the same thing, just phrased differently. And if they are in power, they might implement this, and then end up having more worms in the can to catch than they expected.

So YOLO peeps~ =}

A "Dud" of money thats coming your way.

These few days, PAP rebuff that the high GST is off-set by the Government payout from GST-Rebates and that the PAP shares the fruit of growth through the Growth Bonus. Every statement from the PAP big guns seemed to make sense and that in normal circumstances, the common man would really find it hard to deny the argument.

BUT...

The problem is that, this year is no longer the first year Singaporeans receive "money" from the Government; either through GST rebate or whatever nonsense they call it.

Unfortunately, it did not change the fact that ppl are still unhappy with PAP; i'm sorry, correction: ppl are increasingly unhappy with the PAP. Why is this so? Why are the people so pissed off with the PAP if the policies of rebates and "counter-measures" are on paper working perfectly fine.

"Its no longer a secret that PAP frequently hand you a carrot but extort you to return that carrot with compounding interest through other means."

The popular unhappiness with PAP is a very clear indication that the payout DID NOT do its job, it DID NOT elevate people from the difficulties they faced, it DID NOT make the people's life happier... Its a CLEAR INDICATION that there are a lot more other issues that's to be address.

"The popular unhappiness with PAP is a very clear indication that the payout DID NOT do its job"

Its no longer a secret that PAP frequently hand you a carrot but extort you to return that carrot with compounding interest through other means.

Problems compounded year on year. Why there isnt so many issues in the past and why there is this time round. Apparently something is not right.

Lets put things into perspective: For a bottom 10% uncle whom is already too weak and too old to earn much money, the GST rebates and Growth Dividends/Bonus are a welcomed relieve to the hard life.

But this very uncle will pay back all these payouts very quickly to the PAP government, thru the increasing cost of healthcare (this uncle probably rather die than going thru a much needed operation which he cannot afford to pay for), thru the GST and thru the increasing cost of Transportation in Singapore.

So what problem did the payout solve? Is the payout solving the root of the problem?

"Problems compounded year on year. Why there isnt so many issues in the past and why there is this time round. Apparently something is not right."

So dear fellow Singaporeans, do think through the entire spectrum of issues and perspective; imagine what PAP would do in the very near future (something they do after every election victory) and cast your vote wisely.

Fog of War; The issue we should be concern about.

Of all the hurrah and mudslinging for the past weeks up to till now, the hottest election topic had been HDB and cost of living.

But in my opinion, more "costly" issues are at stake that were not talked abt or talked about enough: Healthcare Cost, Electric Bills / Privatisation of Power Supply, Education.

So far, from what I had seen, only SDP seemed to have covered every concerns I have for the future.

From my personal experience, Healthcare cost have reach a point where its becoming crippling for the average families. No one can afford to fall critically ill, and that the reason is not because of the welfare of the self, but because of the cost of the healthcare bill that follows it. People like my mum had to push back any operations or procedures, or simply follow the "long queue" to get diagnosed and appointment with the specialist at Public Hospitals. I'm sure many folks simply refused to get treated for their otherwise critical situation just because of the money sake.

My grandmother's stroke required all 6 of her children to fund the medical bills and the cost of hiring a elderly care giver; while me, staring at the prospect of paying my mum's inevitable medical bill all alone in the future when she is much weaker and frail. I'm not sure how well will our Medisave and Medicare work when that time come (considering the healthcare cost have never stop increasing for thus far, and I dun see it stopping either).


What about electricity? The privatisation of electric company and the intention to change to a prepaid system which we "buy electricity" from a device that would be installed in our home... the whole thing just sounds so.... I dunno...it disturbs me.


No matter who got elected, I just hope that their minds are on the side of Singaporeans and committed to make Singapore a better and happier place to live in (and i have to add: FOR EVERYONE.)

My suggestion on some policies.

The government had been touting abt them giving substantial state subsidies for education, health care and public housing.

Unfortunately, being a person whom had grown up from a lower income family, I had saw and experienced the effects of government's policy over time since i was still a kid. In summary, I can only say that the "standard of living" had been decreasing due to a increase in "cost of living".

My philosophy that what a government MUST do, in order to honour the principle that the government serves the people and not the other way round: is that basic fundamental needs MUST BE taken care of. Namely: Health Care, Accommodation and Education.

HEALTH CARE
As far as i'm concerned, I still feel that healthcare is too expensive (for surgeries, operations, etc... the major illness and diseases) for Singaporeans. There MUST BE SUBSTANTIAL, if not, NEAR COMPLETE healthcare subsidies or aids given to Singaporeans - If you want ppl to increase their productivity, then spare them the misery of forking out life savings to save themselves and the tragedy of skipping treatments and delaying operations due to a lack of money. (my mother did delay certain scans or checks because of financial issues).

ACCOMMODATION
The HDB's role was to ensure EVERY SINGAPOREAN have a roof over their head. Unfortunately, there had been news abt ppl living in the streets as well as pitching tents at campsites as a makeshift accommodation. This is particularly disturbing to me.

The entire HDB policy should be reviewed to keep up with times. As now that the country had been pretty developed, the HDB should reinvent and NOT BECOME like another real estate company which is trying their best to siphon money from the citizens. While at the same time, HDB flats SHOULD AND MUST be easily affordable and acquired by local citizens. The current practise is just a delibrate manipulation of the property prices, causing an unneccesary bubble and uncalled for encouragement towards "public property trade" (using HDB apartments as a tool to earn money).

Its a cause and effect - if the property will always rise in value in ridiculous rates, then people will definitely use the opportunity to earn money with it - and ultimately, the people who suffer will be people from my generation and the generations that follow ; BECAUSE it would be impossible to afford an apartment anymore in the future.

I have this vision that, the money paid for the flats would go into their CPF (a way to let ppl own a house while assisting them to save money for retirement) instead of money being deducted for payment for their flats. But perhaps, the owners will not be able to sell the flat, since they virtually paid nothing to stay in that apartment (since their money is "paid" into their CPF).

While this is just a seed idea, not a full policy suggestion, but its a new concept and perspective towards public housing. - The idea is that public housing is to ensure people have a house to stay. While there are definitely loads of people unable to afford their dream house or invest in one, but we should not deprive them of the opportunity to stay in one (albeit them might not be able to sell and earn from it).

The catch is that:

people can choose either to pay like what they are doing now, which gives them to chance to cash in by selling their apartment when the valuation is higher

OR

people can choose to "skip" that "upgrading process", and just be contented living in their dream apartment (while they still pay half the "market rates" of similar category of the apartment) but with their monthly "rent" paid into their CPF to help them save money for retirement or rainy days.

This idea still need improvements and fine tuning, since its just a concept. But I see promises of a better lives for many Singaporeans.


EDUCATION
To me, education is an investment by the country to ensure the sustainability and productivity of the future Singapore. Every single person who dropped out or unable to pursue their studies means a lost opportunity for Singapore to extract the best and maximise the potential of our single most important asset - the people.

To cut story short - a school should be created to teach entrepreneurship and business to those that dropped out of secondary school.

This group of drop outs are extremely isolated and with no "route of advancement" for them in life. ITE requires at least a 'N' level. Every single job out there requires at least an 'O' level, regardless if that job can be even done by a 12 year old. I see this as a failure on the part of the society and the government's policy - likened to the India's caste system.

Why entrepreneurship? Because many of this people just dun like studying/dun have the penchant for memorising/kicked out of school for not being compliant to the system (but many a time is because these kids matured ahead of their time)/misleaded and lack a purpose in life.

Teaching these kids and providing them the skills and perhaps some funds to kick start a small business; these kids with their young and creative minds, could do wonders. Even those who are delinquents, seeing that whatever they do now can earn them cold hard cash; they will definitely find a new and better purpose in life than to just hand around void decks and commit stupid crimes.

I met some people whom graduated from top local schools and these "elites" have a disdain and straightforward dismissal of people studying in Normal Tech Stream (which does not exist in their school) for being delinquents (while based on my experience, the worst lots of the students usually comes from Normal Academic Stream, but others also come from both Express and NT stream) and assumed that neighbourhood school students are inferior to them. These sort of elitism mindset carried by their elites would be brought into the parliament where these Elites comes into power.

I want this "worse than racism" paradigm to be changed.


Getting 'A's in school does not equal to success in life and better contribution to society and country.