What is Means testing for health? How does it benefit me?
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Means testing for health services discriminatory
MEANS testing for government health services is discriminatory and will lead to the creation of two classes of Singapore citizens: a class that is entitled to subsidised government services, and another class which has to pay more for the same services.
with Crime Library
Citizens pay income taxes which are already based on a person's income level. Wealthier citizens pay more taxes and the taxes collected are used to fund all gov- ernment operations and services.
With means testing and differentiated services, middle-income citizens would, in fact, be penalised twice. The Government must treat all citizens equally and not discriminate against any particular group when offering its services.
Would means testing stop at health services? Will it be implemented for other government services, like education?
If this is the case, then middle- and upper-income citizens of Singapore who contribute the bulk of the income taxes would have become second-class citi- zens.
Higher-income earners would normally seek private health care or A-class wards in government hospitals.
However, it must be a personal choice and not because of government-imposed means testing.
All citizens must be given a choice of medical services and pay the same fees for whichever ward they choose. No one should be discriminated against based on his income level.
Dr Tan Hong Pew
Saw it it ST Forum, Heard it in Rallies, and reported by ST on replys by Khaw Boon Wan. So talk about. Proposed by the government. must be good.
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Higher cost of living is good, means higher salaries.
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Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan says means-testing will not be implemented in the next two years as originally planned.
He was responding on Wednesday to a Workers' Party's concern over the criteria to be used for means-testing.
Mr Khaw said: "The criteria? I don't know. I honestly don't know. I don't tell lies like some people. You don't want to implement a scheme that is so complicated, that it costs so much to do thorough means-testing. Then whatever you save, you have to now pay more for administrative costs. Now, that additional cost, someone has to bear it."
Visiting residents in Admiralty on Wednesday, Mr Khaw said means-testing will only happen once a fair, cost-effective, thorough, yet simple system is in place.
Means testing refers to a method to calculate healthcare subsidies patients can receive, based on what they can afford.
It aims to reach out to those who need subsidies the most. - CNA/ch -
Today ST paper
KWB say maybe not implementing -
SINGAPORE : Means testing for C-class hospital wards will not be implemented if it is not feasible, said Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
A scheme which Mr Khaw has mentioned intermittently since 2004, means testing would peg C-class hospital ward subsidies to a patient's income level.
Yesterday, Mr Khaw explained that he would be concentrating on chronic illnesses for these two years and does not see the implementation of means testing during this time. This is because details need to be worked out thoroughly and the scheme widely consulted before any decision is made, just like the MediShield reform last year.
While the minister has repeatedly said that he is in no hurry to implement the scheme and so far, no details have been released, he raised the possibility of dropping it altogether for the first time yesterday.
Speaking on the sidelines of a visit at Sembawang GRC where he is leading a six-member team, Mr Khaw said that his ministry does not want to implement a scheme that is so complicated that the additional costs of implementation would be passed on to the patients. These costs could result from hiring more manpower to do the means checks, for example.
"If you can do it fairly, thoroughly and simply, I will definitely do it. But if (doing it) fairly and thoroughly is a very troublesome task that needs a lot of manpower and money, then I think no need to do it," he said.
As to Workers' Party secretary-general Low Thia Khiang's call to make known the criteria for the scheme before Polling Day, Mr Khaw said that he has no idea because planning has not started.
"The criteria — I don't know, I honestly don't know," he said. "I don't tell lies like some people. It's not my style, my character. In my religion, one of the biggest sins is to tell lies; the next birth, you will become a cockroach or something. I take things seriously. What I said, I can deliver. What I can't deliver, I dare not say."
Mr Khaw added that he doesn't think means testing is a key issue and said the Opposition brought it up as they have run out of issues to talk about.
The principle of means testing is one that nobody can fault, said Mr Khaw. "(The) rich pay more, the poor pay less; does Mr Low Thia Khiang disagree with that?"
Besides, means testing is already informally in place as people choose their ward size according to what they can afford, he said. In other countries, public hospitals typically do not have ward classes.
Mr Khaw also addressed WP East Coast GRC candidate Perry Tong's call for the Government to do away with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for healthcare.
Rather than go for a simplistic across the board waiver, Mr Khaw said the Government has absorbed the GST of subsidised patients since it was introduced in 1994. - TODAY/zf
Now not implementing
sure change fast. Why change if it is good for Singaporean? -
If it was not raised as an issue at this elections by Sylvia Lim, do you think our govt would consider dropping the idea IF A SUITABLE METHOD OF CLASSIFICATION CANNOT BE FOUND?Originally posted by LinYu:SINGAPORE : Means testing for C-class hospital wards will not be implemented if it is not feasible, said Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
A scheme which Mr Khaw has mentioned intermittently since 2004, means testing would peg C-class hospital ward subsidies to a patient's income level.
Yesterday, Mr Khaw explained that he would be concentrating on chronic illnesses for these two years and does not see the implementation of means testing during this time. This is because details need to be worked out thoroughly and the scheme widely consulted before any decision is made, just like the MediShield reform last year.
While the minister has repeatedly said that he is in no hurry to implement the scheme and so far, no details have been released, he raised the possibility of dropping it altogether for the first time yesterday.
Speaking on the sidelines of a visit at Sembawang GRC where he is leading a six-member team, Mr Khaw said that his ministry does not want to implement a scheme that is so complicated that the additional costs of implementation would be passed on to the patients. These costs could result from hiring more manpower to do the means checks, for example.
"If you can do it fairly, thoroughly and simply, I will definitely do it. But if (doing it) fairly and thoroughly is a very troublesome task that needs a lot of manpower and money, then I think no need to do it," he said.
As to Workers' Party secretary-general Low Thia Khiang's call to make known the criteria for the scheme before Polling Day, Mr Khaw said that he has no idea because planning has not started.
"The criteria — I don't know, I honestly don't know," he said. "I don't tell lies like some people. It's not my style, my character. In my religion, one of the biggest sins is to tell lies; the next birth, you will become a cockroach or something. I take things seriously. What I said, I can deliver. What I can't deliver, I dare not say."
Mr Khaw added that he doesn't think means testing is a key issue and said the Opposition brought it up as they have run out of issues to talk about.
The principle of means testing is one that nobody can fault, said Mr Khaw. "(The) rich pay more, the poor pay less; does Mr Low Thia Khiang disagree with that?"
Besides, means testing is already informally in place as people choose their ward size according to what they can afford, he said. In other countries, public hospitals typically do not have ward classes.
Mr Khaw also addressed WP East Coast GRC candidate Perry Tong's call for the Government to do away with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for healthcare.
Rather than go for a simplistic across the board waiver, Mr Khaw said the Government has absorbed the GST of subsidised patients since it was introduced in 1994. - TODAY/zf
Now not implementing
sure change fast. Why change if it is good for Singaporean?
It seems that Khaw Boon Wan is joing the 'liars' bandwagon after his mentor MM Lee; a cheap attempt at elevating his own moral status by insinuating that the opposition lack credibility.
The Ruling party is certainly doing much to sink their own moral standards...Cheap shots like that degrade the standing of ministers..... and they have the cheek
to claim that they are a first world govt!
Even the Scandinavians, with possibly the most complete package as a 1st world political scene, dare not make such arrogant boasts.
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Discriminatory??? I think not... Personally I am of higher income... and I think the subsidy should be giving pioritised to the lower income dispite it is unfair to me.
Simply because there are people who couldn't afford the medical. And we should never exclude these people. For people who can afford. A subsidy is secondary. So what's the problem with the mean testing for subsidy? Discriminating? I don't mind the government would spend more money on else where than the medical for the rich. The rich can afford it. Whereas to the poor it is neccessity.
How about spending some money on the economy it will help the rich richer. Sorry don't agree on this stand by the WP.