Affordable healthcare available in public hospitals
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IN HER letter, 'Query on low MediShield payout' (ST, Dec
, Ms Regine Oh referred to an earlier inquiry by Ms Chew Kai Hwa about the low MediShield payout for her mother-in-law's private hospital bill of more than $50,000. She asked what would be MediShield Basic's coverage if the patient had stayed in a subsidised B2/C ward instead.
For illustration purpose, we have used a sample heart bypass case. If a heart bypass patient had stayed in a Class C ward in a restructured hospital, his estimated total bill would be $2,366 for 10 days of hospitalisation. This is based on the average length of stay and median bill size for heart bypass patients in Class C wards.
After the deductible of $1,000 and co-payment of the bill by the patient, the MediShield Basic plan would have covered almost half of the hospital bill at $1,093. The balance of $1,273 can be fully paid out of the patient's Medisave.
For stays in private wards or hospitals, it would be more appropriate to consider buying suitable add-on coverage from Medisave-approved insurance rider products. These enhanced plans will provide additional benefits and coverage for Singaporeans who wish to opt for Class A and B1 wards in restructured hospitals, or private hospitalisation.
Karen Tan (Ms)
Director, Corporate Communications
Ministry of Health
Straits Times, 18 Dec -
PAP's Gods!!!!Originally posted by oxford mushroom:IN HER letter, 'Query on low MediShield payout' (ST, Dec, Ms Regine Oh referred to an earlier inquiry by Ms Chew Kai Hwa about the low MediShield payout for her mother-in-law's private hospital bill of more than $50,000. She asked what would be MediShield Basic's coverage if the patient had stayed in a subsidised B2/C ward instead.
For illustration purpose, we have used a sample heart bypass case. If a heart bypass patient had stayed in a Class C ward in a restructured hospital, his estimated total bill would be $2,366 for 10 days of hospitalisation. This is based on the average length of stay and median bill size for heart bypass patients in Class C wards.
After the deductible of $1,000 and co-payment of the bill by the patient, the MediShield Basic plan would have covered almost half of the hospital bill at $1,093. The balance of $1,273 can be fully paid out of the patient's Medisave.
For stays in private wards or hospitals, it would be more appropriate to consider buying suitable add-on coverage from Medisave-approved insurance rider products. These enhanced plans will provide additional benefits and coverage for Singaporeans who wish to opt for Class A and B1 wards in restructured hospitals, or private hospitalisation.
Karen Tan (Ms)
Director, Corporate Communications
Ministry of Health
Straits Times, 18 Dec
Dont u feel ashame to post this thread!!!!!
Why we pay $1093 instead of S$500 excess and c0-insurance under the previuos MS scheme???
why we pay such a high excess with an incresed premium now???
pls dont short-changed sporeans,we r stupid but not as blind as u!!!!
It is all out 2 cheat sillypoeans!!!! -
50k in private hospitals, 2.3k in public hospitals...if you choose to go to private hospitals, you ask to pay moreOriginally posted by foomwee88:PAP's Gods!!!!
Dont u feel ashame to post this thread!!!!!
Why we pay $1093 instead of S$500 excess and c0-insurance under the previuos MS scheme???
why we pay such a high excess with an incresed premium now???
pls dont short-changed sporeans,we r stupid but not as blind as u!!!!
It is all out 2 cheat sillypoeans!!!!
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WHAT IS THE ISSUE HERE?
R u better off with MS or r we not???as compare with previos schme!!!
Pls answer!!!! -
Instead of building a polyclinic that Jurong West extension residents hope for, they spent $22M to build the Jurong Medical Centre which is a "halfway house" (which is neither a polyclinic nor a hospital). Why would a patient want to go there when A.H is much better equipped.
There is no patient at all at the ground floor when u walk pass the Centre today despite the nasty queue reported in other clinic!
It this considered a white elephant? -
The truth will prevail by itself!!!Originally posted by qpicanto:Instead of building a polyclinic that Jurong West extension residents hope for, they spent $22M to build the Jurong Medical Centre which is a "halfway house" (which is neither a polyclinic nor a hospital). Why would a patient want to go there when A.H is much better equipped.
There is no patient at all at the ground floor when u walk pass the Centre today despite the nasty queue reported in other clinic!
It this considered a white elephant?
We r a highly educated country and hve a population of high IQ ,EQand FQ ppls!!!
Dont treat us like a kid to let U fool ard!!!
Worst stilll!! our next G will give u a heart attack and throw u out of the window if u tell lie and half truth!!! -
is there any truth that the bills for private against govt hospitals is 50k against 2k?
so much difference?
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OFox is not comparing apple with apple!!!!Originally posted by dragg:is there any truth that the bills for private against govt hospitals is 50k against 2k?
so much difference?
He is talking about A class in a private hospital against C class in gov's hospitals!!!!
I really cant imagine a guy like him so thick skin!!!!! -
The lady who wrote in choose to put her mom-in-law in A class and expect Medishield to pay out A class rate for a B2/C class cover.Originally posted by foomwee88:OFox is not comparing apple with apple!!!!
He is talking about A class in a private hospital against C class in gov's hospitals!!!!
I really cant imagine a guy like him so thick skin!!!!!
I can't believe she is so thick skinned!
Please note I am not siding with OM on this one but the lady who wrote in didn't compare apple to apple when she made the choice to admit her mom-in-law into Gleneagles which is far more expensive than private class in restructured hospitals. She expected that for an insurance WHICH covers B2/C class to cover A class as well. -
MY FATHER was scheduled for bypass surgery at National University Hospital (NUH). The day before admission, NUH called to change the operation date.
On the day of admission, the time was changed three times. After admission, my father was left in bed with no doctors, no nurses and no instructions. Although he was due for an operation the next day, no one gave any pre-operation instructions.
On the day of the operation, the doctors told us the operation was not confirmed. My poor father was left 'fasting' the whole day even though the operation was not confirmed.
So we asked for a discharge, and the doctor promised a referral letter on condition we signed a 'discharge at own risk' form.
We are disappointed with the service NUH provided. Should patients in the subsidised class be treated this way?
Goh Huimei (Ms)
3rd class treatment for being subsidised
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Coz it is a comparison of a A1 class in private hospital against 2k in a B2/C Class ward.Originally posted by dragg:is there any truth that the bills for private against govt hospitals is 50k against 2k?
so much difference?
A1 in Gleneagles
- Bed cost/room cost/amenities cost
- cost each time the surgeon visits you and dressing each time ( which can cost a range of 800 to 1 k depending on complexity) rather than a registered nurse doing it for u.
- cost of the equipment maintenance i.e. Patient controlled analgesias, cardiac monitoring
- cost of disposable items like disposable cardiac leads , toilet paper, wet paper towels for washing etc
- cost of meals
- cost of laundry
- nursing costs -
They shouldn't have sign the at own risk form. They should have made noise and said if something happen to their father during his stay , they will sue for negligence - that way they get service faster.Originally posted by LinYu:MY FATHER was scheduled for bypass surgery at National University Hospital (NUH). The day before admission, NUH called to change the operation date.
On the day of admission, the time was changed three times. After admission, my father was left in bed with no doctors, no nurses and no instructions. Although he was due for an operation the next day, no one gave any pre-operation instructions.
On the day of the operation, the doctors told us the operation was not confirmed. My poor father was left 'fasting' the whole day even though the operation was not confirmed.
So we asked for a discharge, and the doctor promised a referral letter on condition we signed a 'discharge at own risk' form.
We are disappointed with the service NUH provided. Should patients in the subsidised class be treated this way?
Goh Huimei (Ms)
3rd class treatment for being subsidised
My granddad went to C class out of his own choice in one hospital because he didn't want to burden anyone with the finances but they treated him rapidly there because they heard that there is a lawyer amongst my relatives. -
Originally posted by fymk:Coz it is a comparison of a A1 class in private hospital against 2k in a B2/C Class ward.
A1 in Gleneagles
- Bed cost/room cost/amenities cost
- cost each time the surgeon visits you and dressing each time ( which can cost a range of 800 to 1 k depending on complexity) rather than a registered nurse doing it for u.
- cost of the equipment maintenance i.e. Patient controlled analgesias, cardiac monitoring
- cost of disposable items like disposable cardiac leads , toilet paper, wet paper towels for washing etc
- cost of meals
- cost of laundry
- nursing costs
we must compare the same class at both hospitals.
otherwise it serves no purpose to compare. -
The lady choose to admit her mom-in-law to a fully private hospital . The government has no control on how they regulate pricing of private healthcare operators. However the government can regulate the pricing in restructured hospitals
They do not have B2/C class at all . How to compare to a restructured hospital?
However I can tell you admission to a B1 class in a restructured hospital for a bypass can cost less than 20k and they are quite fast. In 2 weeks, they operate. 1 week to settle your will and second week to enjoy time with your family.
So do you expect to pay around 800 dollars per year for insurance premium to go to A1 class ? You have to be joking right? Like that even I will fly back for healthcare in Singapore for just 800 dollars per year for A1 class hospitalisation .
Even in other countries (Australia and USA), their insurance premiums for private healthcare is up the roof . Take for example Australia - If I choose to be covered for everything including cardiac bypass surgery in private- my insurance will go up to at least 2k per annum in Australia , not to mention medicare levy in taxation ( for free public health) which costs me about 700 dollars per year. And I still have to pay the freaking gap after medicare australia and my insurance pays the hospital.
Compare this then : A1 class (RESTRUCTURED) for a bypass on average cost around $18k or so , 90th percentile ( just after below top 10 ) costs $24897 - this is taken from MOH website .
And remember somethings like disposable monitoring leads , disposable arterial lines cost around 100-450dollars per time of use. IV cannulas around 20-50 dollars depending if you have add ons. Drains cost around 70-200 dollars depending on whether it is disposable or not with drainage tubes which may cost 30-100 dollars depending on complexity. While the special dressing sets and equipment may cost around 200 dollars to sterilise or discard per use . Sterilised gauze , surgical tape , steristrips , saline solution also cost a fair bit depending on what brand they use . Probably they tried to resuscitate the old lady which means pay for the resus items as well and that is a period of the time where you don't care about wastage when it comes to saving a life. After that they might jolly well tabulate what items are used . Each resuscitation I remembered cost somewhere from 500k worth of resources and supply replacement to about 2k when the whole trolley has been used.
When you choose a fully private hospital, all these will be charged to your account. The government has no regulation of the private sector so don't expect the government to reply on why it costs so much in Gleneagles -
It is the SHABBINESS of these government hospitals that made people resort to private hospitals.Originally posted by LinYu:MY FATHER was scheduled for bypass surgery at National University Hospital (NUH). The day before admission, NUH called to change the operation date.
On the day of admission, the time was changed three times. After admission, my father was left in bed with no doctors, no nurses and no instructions. Although he was due for an operation the next day, no one gave any pre-operation instructions.
On the day of the operation, the doctors told us the operation was not confirmed. My poor father was left 'fasting' the whole day even though the operation was not confirmed.
So we asked for a discharge, and the doctor promised a referral letter on condition we signed a 'discharge at own risk' form.
We are disappointed with the service NUH provided. Should patients in the subsidised class be treated this way?
Goh Huimei (Ms)
3rd class treatment for being subsidised
I can also relate to the writer Ms Goh, as I have had similar experience with TTSH when my father had a heart attack. I was so furious I told the nurses and doctors on duty to go fly a kite, while I took my father out of TTSH by calling Gleneagles to come in their Ambulance and evac my dad from the hell hole!
Service was so farked up I tell you... I was on the verge of using hokkien language on those dumb-ass nurses there!! -
OkOriginally posted by dragg:we must compare the same class at both hospitals.
otherwise it serves no purpose to compare.
Let's do a fair comparison then
In A1 class restructured - you have a fixed daily fee where the surgeon comes in with his team and see you . The staff nurse does your dressing and that is also a fixed daily nursing fee .
In A1 class private - the surgeon charges you each time he sees you. He does your dressing and he puts in additional charges as well per dressing and time taken plus complexity. Basically you can expect between , let's say hypothetically, the amount of 600 dollars per visit to 2k per visit and dressing (based on the bills I have seen in private hospitals) . So if you have stayed for an average of 9.2 days , and every day you needed visits and dressings - it could easily come up to 5.4k for visits alone or if the patient insisted that he does the dressing , it could come up to 18k alone . This is what private surgeons do - they charge alot so that you have the privilege of seeing their faces everyday.
Another example which is freely available to compare on the internet is Glaucoma .
Let's look at gleneagles and SNEC for Glaucoma surgery . Both compared at 50th percentile and 90th percentile .
SNEC (PRIVATE CLASS RATES)
- 50th percentile , costs a total of SGD 782
- 90th percentile a total of SGD 2199.
Gleneagles -
50th percentile SGD 1096 dollars for hospital stay and SGD 2575 for doctor's fees. In total at 50th percentile : SGD 3671
90th percentile SGD 1472 dollars for hospital stay and SGD 5940 for doctor's fees.
In total at 90th percentile : SGD7412 -
ROFL pick on the nurses when the doctors actually are the ones who have the power to control the situation and are the gatekeepers. No matter how much a nurse can try to help u by calling the doctor, if the doctor doesn't want to come , he doesn't come. Next time - try to yell at your gatekeepers.Originally posted by ShutterBug:It is the SHABBINESS of these government hospitals that made people resort to private hospitals.
I can also relate to the writer Ms Goh, as I have had similar experience with TTSH when my father had a heart attack. I was so furious I told the nurses and doctors on duty to go fly a kite, while I took my father out of TTSH by calling Gleneagles to come in their Ambulance and evac my dad from the hell hole!
Service was so farked up I tell you... I was on the verge of using hokkien language on those dumb-ass nurses there!!
Go to SGH ....it is better especially when the best cardiothoracic surgeons are there . My relative discharged out of Gleneagles to go to SGH private class because the cardiothoracic surgeons are better than his sh!tty one in Gleneagles.
TTSH is more for communicable disease admissions. TTSH and AH are the worst from what I know. -
Just another thought - about a few years back, I remember bringing my father to emergency department and his blood pressure was off the roof. Unlike you who started telling people to fly a kite . I just told them calmly I want to see the nursing officer in charge if my dad is not seen within 10 minutes because we have been waiting for almost 20 mins to be seen and he looked worse than before - he looked so red that I thought he was about have a stroke. The nurses did tell me that the ED was busy and I said I understand but my father was not well and I know they triage accordingly.Originally posted by ShutterBug:It is the SHABBINESS of these government hospitals that made people resort to private hospitals.
I can also relate to the writer Ms Goh, as I have had similar experience with TTSH when my father had a heart attack. I was so furious I told the nurses and doctors on duty to go fly a kite, while I took my father out of TTSH by calling Gleneagles to come in their Ambulance and evac my dad from the hell hole!
Service was so farked up I tell you... I was on the verge of using hokkien language on those dumb-ass nurses there!!
I said it is an emergency because his blood pressure was off the roof. Earlier in triage his blood pressure went to 180/100 and that was not critical enough to be seen straight away . I think it was about 210/150 when I took it at home. Another nurse took his blood pressure again and yes it was again off the roof. She called a passing attending doctor to have a look and my dad got seen straight away. They dosed him up with antihypertensives to lower it in the observation bay and monitored him for 24 hrs because his blood pressure was off the rocks. The doctor did say it was lucky that I told the nurses that something was wrong because he could possibly have had a stroke from a high pressure like that.
I didn't yell at them or anything . I just told them calmly and politely what the situation was and that I will hold the hospital responsible if he collapses. Fast service suddenly. "sue", "lithigation", "hold the hospital responsible" are the key words if you think there is an emergency that your relative needs to be seen. However I don't advise you to use it if it is not an emergency. It is unfair to others who have been waiting. -
I don't know, when I get mad, I will ask them; "what kind of hell hole are they running? You people don't get enough pay??"Originally posted by fymk:Just another thought - about a few years back, I remember bringing my father to emergency department in CGH and his blood pressure was off the roof. Unlike you who started telling people to fly a kite . I just told them calmly I want to see the nursing officer in charge if my dad is not seen within 10 minutes because we have been waiting for almost 20 mins to be seen and he looked worse than before - he looked so red that I thought he was about have a stroke. The nurses did tell me that the ED was busy and I said I understand but my father was not well and I know they triage accordingly.
I said it is an emergency because his blood pressure was off the roof. Earlier in triage his blood pressure went to 180/100 and that was not critical enough to be seen straight away . I think it was about 210/150 when I took it at home. Another nurse took his blood pressure again and yes it was again off the roof. She called a passing attending doctor to have a look and my dad got seen straight away. They dosed him up with antihypertensives to lower it in the observation bay and monitored him for 24 hrs because his blood pressure was off the rocks. The doctor did say it was lucky that I told the nurses that something was wrong because he could possibly have had a stroke from a high pressure like that.
I didn't yell at them or anything . I just told them calmly and politely what the situation was and that I will hold the hospital responsible if he collapses. Fast service suddenly. "sue", "lithigation", "hold the hospital responsible" are the key words if you think there is an emergency that your relative needs to be seen. However I don't advise you to use it if it is not an emergency. It is unfair to others who have been waiting. -
I worked as a nurse in Singapore and I can tell you most nurses are overworked . I ever worked 12 days in a row without a day off in one hospital. You take a ridiculous load of patients in Singapore. The pay is basically was 1/3 of what I earnt in Australia with 1/3 of the workload I get from Singapore. Plus you have people yelling at you for service - it doesn't get better in Singapore.Originally posted by ShutterBug:I don't know, when I get mad, I will ask them; "what kind of hell hole are they running? You people don't get enough pay??"
I can understand that you are unhappy about your father being treated that way . I am surprised tho on how they treated your dad so mildly . I remembered SGH rushes them straight regardless of class into the resus bay and hook them up to be cardiac monitored.
Yelling won't get the job done neither does insults. Just talk to them about your situation calmly i.e. I think my dad is having a heart attack and I think he might die. I am sure someone will see your father immediately. After all Nurses and Doctors are human beings too. If they refuse , remind them of their legal obligations to the care of a human life. Not one of them want that on their conscience that a human being dies or suffers as a result of neglect. -
Siow eh...did Woodbridge throw you out for not paying your medical bills or did you just escape?Originally posted by foomwee88:The truth will prevail by itself!!!
We r a highly educated country and hve a population of high IQ ,EQand FQ ppls!!!
Dont treat us like a kid to let U fool ard!!!
Worst stilll!! our next G will give u a heart attack and throw u out of the window if u tell lie and half truth!!! -
no, he walked out through the front doorOriginally posted by oxford mushroom:Siow eh...did Woodbridge throw you out for not paying your medical bills or did you just escape?
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u r worst than me !!!! u r throwing out out of the window cauz at this age nobody carry yr balls!!!Originally posted by asdfzhao:no, he walked out through the front door and then---- -
May I know TS how thick is yr skin???
I think u r worst than Ah Bian in TW!!!!
keeping on carrying yr balls as a dog!!!!! but PAP doesnt like u 2 caus u r suck!!!! -
Ox fox comes n suck my C at East Coast!!!!! I m lonely n going 2 retire next year!!!!
I give u One million $!!!!!