Gov: Left Pocket Out, Right Pocket In...
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Fees going up in SGH in April
First increase for subsidised patients in 14 years
By Ng Wan Ching
March 18, 2007
FOURTEEN years after its last fee revision, Singapore General Hospital (SGH) is revising its in-patient ward charges for subsidised patients.
From April, those in Cwards will pay only a dollar more at $26. The highest increase will be for the B2+ward, which will see a $6 increase. (See table below.)
The previous review of these fees was in 1993.
The hospital will continue to absorb GST for subsidisedpatients.
Last month, SGH revised specialist outpatient clinic fees for private patients. They now pay up to $60 for each repeat consultation with a senior consultant and up to $85 for a first-time consultation.
Private ward fees were revised last year.
SGH had held off any fee increase despite the annual rise in operating expenses such as utilities, housekeeping and maintenance arising from higher energy costs, said a spokesman.
Housekeeping costs have gone up because of intensified post-Sars infection control and increased bird flu vigilance measures. For instance, there is more frequent cleaning, changing of linen and gloves.
Said Prof Tan Ser Kiat, chief executive officer of SGH: 'With an increasing volume of subsidised patients, and facilities at SGH which need updating, any under-collection of revenue would mean less resources available for meeting the growing need for improvements necessary for sustaining quality of patientcare.
'Even with the impending adjustment to fees, we can only recover a small fraction of rising costs.'
SGH will continue to assist patients with financial difficulties through MediFund and other assistance schemes, like its Samaritans Fund for needy patients and the SingHealth Foundation.
The SGH fee revision is the latest in a series of fee increases by restrutured hospitals here.
KK Women's and Children's Hospital KKH adjusted its fees with effect from 15 Feb. The estimated impact on bill size ranges from 0.2per cent to 4.3percent, said a spokesman.
The fee adjustments were mainly to cover increases in operating costs and inflation.
The revision affects outpatient consultation fees for private patients and daily ward and treatment fees for both private and subsidised patients.
National University Hospital
NUH revised its accident and emergency fee in January from $70 to $80, the first revision since 1997.
'The revision was necessary to help to some extent meet the higher cost of providing the service and in our continuing efforts to improve clinical care and services for our patients,' said a spokesman.
NUH has introduced various initiatives and new technology at the A&E to enhance patient safety and care, and even cut down hospitalisation costs for patients, she said.
For example:
A new life-saving technology for patients with breathing difficulties which has significantly cut down the need for these patients to be kept in intensive care.
Tests that can rapidly detect heart attacks enabling doctors to get patients to undergo treatment faster.
Alexandra Hospital
In November last year, its emergency charges went up from $55 to $60, while specialist outpatient clinic charges for subsidised patients went up from $18 to $20.
In December, its ward charges for C class patients went up from $21 to $25 a day.
Changi General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital
CGH and TTSH have yet to follow suit.
Said a CGH spokesman: 'Currently, our hospital is still reviewing our fees, particularly our A&E fees which was revised 10 years ago in 1997.'
CGH's A&E charge is currently $65.
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'We'll feel the pinch'
ALTHOUGH the hospitals say that all patients with financial difficulties will be helped, there are many who feel the fees increase could not have come at a worst time.
Of the 30 people we polled, more than eight in 10 were unhappy.
Said Mrs Tan Siew Leng, a housewife in her 40s: 'Already we are facing a GST increase. Now with this increase, people like us will feel the pinch.
'If my children get ill in the middle of the night, where can I go but the A&E?'
She normally goes to the A&E department at National University Hospital. 'The fee increase at NUH from $70 to $80 is a big jump,' she said.
That is also how Mr Leow Lam Seng feels. The 45-year-old claims executive said he has been seeing a lot of claims lately and has noticed the increase.
'For middle income people, the percentage increase is a lot. And if we get sick in the middle of the night, there aren't that many choices of where to go to get treatment,' he said.
A few people said they understood that hospitals need to increase their fees to keep up with costs.
Said Ms Susan Lee, a businesswoman in her 50s: 'It is unrealistic to expect hospitals to keep their fees the same forever. Maybe the Government can give the hospitals more money to offset the need for frequent increases.' -
take all the money from the people and the do what? Invest in SHIN CORPS and pay themselves million dollars salaries... even take more and more from the sick!
I wonder how many end up dead because they think... so expensive, wait a while and see...
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Good luck,Sillyporeans!!!
Waiting for 3hours at A&E 2 c a Doc and be charged S$80,OMG!!!!!200% higher than a GP charge in a pte clinic at where u need to wait less than 1 hour!!!
I think all the GPs in Sinkapore hve 2 increase their charges as well in order to be in line with Gov Hospitals . -
saw these coming
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It is easy to complain, but I think this is one change that should be least controversial. A price increase every 10 (or more for SGH) years is something that can be rationalized genuinely.
I can't say the same for our local transport companies though. -
Why are we not surprised?
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dont bother, more to come.
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The real question is how many will vote against PAP in the next elections in the years to come.
I sure hope all of you guys remember what they did soon after they won the elections. PAP counting on people's short memory and will start to action 6mths before the elections. -
I don't think I'll stick around to find outOriginally posted by pwnz0r:The real question is how many will vote against PAP in the next elections in the years to come.
I sure hope all of you guys remember what they did soon after they won the elections. PAP counting on people's short memory and will start to action 6mths before the elections.
Too many disappointments -
Oh my money.
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Oh my money.
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So this movement is to prove that 'You cannot get sick you can only died in Singapore' is very true
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Of course it has been truce oreli,even the hospice care charge is S$210 per day!!!Originally posted by justcooler:So this movement is to prove that 'You cannot get sick you can only died in Singapore' is very true
This blood sucker sg!!!! -
the charge increament excuse is ridiculous...
Originally posted by ShutterBug:
[b]Fees going up in SGH in April
First increase for subsidised patients in 14 years
By Ng Wan Ching
March 18, 2007
FOURTEEN years after its last fee revision, Singapore General Hospital (SGH) is revising its in-patient ward charges for subsidised patients.
From April, those in Cwards will pay only a dollar more at $26. The highest increase will be for the B2+ward, which will see a $6 increase. (See table below.)
The previous review of these fees was in 1993.
The hospital will continue to absorb GST for subsidisedpatients.
Last month, SGH revised specialist outpatient clinic fees for private patients. They now pay up to $60 for each repeat consultation with a senior consultant and up to $85 for a first-time consultation.
Private ward fees were revised last year.
SGH had held off any fee increase despite the annual rise in operating expenses such as utilities, housekeeping and maintenance arising from higher energy costs, said a spokesman.
Housekeeping costs have gone up because of intensified post-Sars infection control and increased bird flu vigilance measures. For instance, there is more frequent cleaning, changing of linen and gloves.
Said Prof Tan Ser Kiat, chief executive officer of SGH: 'With an increasing volume of subsidised patients, and facilities at SGH which need updating, any under-collection of revenue would mean less resources available for meeting the growing need for improvements necessary for sustaining quality of patientcare.
'Even with the impending adjustment to fees, we can only recover a small fraction of rising costs.'
SGH will continue to assist patients with financial difficulties through MediFund and other assistance schemes, like its Samaritans Fund for needy patients and the SingHealth Foundation.
The SGH fee revision is the latest in a series of fee increases by restrutured hospitals here.
KK Women's and Children's Hospital KKH adjusted its fees with effect from 15 Feb. The estimated impact on bill size ranges from 0.2per cent to 4.3percent, said a spokesman.
The fee adjustments were mainly to cover increases in operating costs and inflation.
The revision affects outpatient consultation fees for private patients and daily ward and treatment fees for both private and subsidised patients.
National University Hospital
NUH revised its accident and emergency fee in January from $70 to $80, the first revision since 1997.
'The revision was necessary to help to some extent meet the higher cost of providing the service and in our continuing efforts to improve clinical care and services for our patients,' said a spokesman.
NUH has introduced various initiatives and new technology at the A&E to enhance patient safety and care, and even cut down hospitalisation costs for patients, she said.
For example:
A new life-saving technology for patients with breathing difficulties which has significantly cut down the need for these patients to be kept in intensive care.
Tests that can rapidly detect heart attacks enabling doctors to get patients to undergo treatment faster.
Alexandra Hospital
In November last year, its emergency charges went up from $55 to $60, while specialist outpatient clinic charges for subsidised patients went up from $18 to $20.
In December, its ward charges for C class patients went up from $21 to $25 a day.
Changi General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital
CGH and TTSH have yet to follow suit.
Said a CGH spokesman: 'Currently, our hospital is still reviewing our fees, particularly our A&E fees which was revised 10 years ago in 1997.'
CGH's A&E charge is currently $65.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'We'll feel the pinch'
ALTHOUGH the hospitals say that all patients with financial difficulties will be helped, there are many who feel the fees increase could not have come at a worst time.
Of the 30 people we polled, more than eight in 10 were unhappy.
Said Mrs Tan Siew Leng, a housewife in her 40s: 'Already we are facing a GST increase. Now with this increase, people like us will feel the pinch.
'If my children get ill in the middle of the night, where can I go but the A&E?'
She normally goes to the A&E department at National University Hospital. 'The fee increase at NUH from $70 to $80 is a big jump,' she said.
That is also how Mr Leow Lam Seng feels. The 45-year-old claims executive said he has been seeing a lot of claims lately and has noticed the increase.
'For middle income people, the percentage increase is a lot. And if we get sick in the middle of the night, there aren't that many choices of where to go to get treatment,' he said.
A few people said they understood that hospitals need to increase their fees to keep up with costs.
Said Ms Susan Lee, a businesswoman in her 50s: 'It is unrealistic to expect hospitals to keep their fees the same forever. Maybe the Government can give the hospitals more money to offset the need for frequent increases.'
[/b] -
now i see the point ->
1) Getting FT to low the cost
2) NATO no retaining local talent, but actually they only wanted to retain elites
3) Elites forming an inc to rule everythings
4) Inc give all excuses to raise the cost of all dam# things
6) so that their elite executives and top directors can have good pay packages -
Already got rumours for TTSH. Just wait and see.
Besides, TTSH is getting too crowded these days. A rise in fees might be the answer, just as we have COE to limit the number of cars here. -
i think let me die lah doctor, dun save me.
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Conditioning.Originally posted by spinsugar:Why are we not surprised?
In the army we have a ditty that goes like this
They say in the Army,
The pay is mighty fine,
They give you $100
And take away 99. -
if someone can record it down the events... frm progress package till elections and gst & price hike ..... can be in a blog.... record only FACTS and no comments....
broadcast and market the blog near election... Do something if u wan a change in lifestyle.. -
Need more train tracks. -
jump johor de hor, dun jump our MRT one hor....knn i dun wan be late for anything..Originally posted by mistyblue:Need more train tracks.
anyway, i dun like our transport operator THE MOST! increase increase increase. and CASE only help to speak up for dem, NOT FOR US. ya la, increase, so CASE only say why the need for increase, blah blah blah....why CASE nvr go tell the transport operator why dere isnt a need to increase instead.
i think singapore's CASE need a major makeover, seriously. Hospital charges is ok, in my opinion, 10 years since dey reviewed it. and household telephone charges too, singtel were already quite kind. -
Install ERP at the entrance and exitOriginally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Already got rumours for TTSH. Just wait and see.
Besides, TTSH is getting too crowded these days. A rise in fees might be the answer, just as we have COE to limit the number of cars here.
Fee will be subjected to congestion of the hospital
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andrew, but doctors said gahmen already subsidised a lot for people and why people still make so much noise.Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:take all the money from the people and the do what? Invest in SHIN CORPS and pay themselves million dollars salaries... even take more and more from the sick!
I wonder how many end up dead because they think... so expensive, wait a while and see...
SGH increase charge but can they guarantee 100% that they will provide good and professional service. So many complaints about their attitude and bad service. My friends still working there told me they received increasing complaints from patients and family members of patients. -
Don't forget, but SGH service really succks!!Originally posted by pwnz0r:It is easy to complain, but I think this is one change that should be least controversial. A price increase every 10 (or more for SGH) years is something that can be rationalized genuinely.
I can't say the same for our local transport companies though. -
Then go somewhere else...nobody's forcing you to go to any particular hospital. The number of foreign patients coming to SGH is increasing by the year...they know something you don't. Let market forces decide...if they cannot compete, they will lose out.Originally posted by rane:Don't forget, but SGH service really succks!!