As a senior, I used to be very thankful for the health subsidies given by the govt, particularly in dental care. I could go for a filling and walked out not paying a cent as the cost was mostly absorbed by the subsidies for seniors. I only visited NTUC Dental Care.
My last couple of visits were quite shocking. For a small filling, and did not ask for scaling but this was done, I had to pay out of pocket in cash, more than $200 despite the subsidies for seniors. On another visit, I specifically said no scaling, thinking that I could bring down the amount of cash that I had to pay. I still had to pay about $200. The additional increase was for counting the teeth and blank in my mouth. This was once a one time procedure when one first seen by a dental surgeon, called consultation fee. Now it seems that this is a regular procedure, think, once every 6 month or something like that, because after 6 months, the dental surgeon can claim subsidies from counting teeth and blanks in your mouth. And for this action, the amount charged is about $60 or $70. Daylight robbery?
After my last visit, I received an SMS message for feedback. One of the question asked, would I recommend people to visit the clinic. My answer is NO. Though the quality of service was expected from a professional dental surgeon, the cost is just too high. Mind you, this is after subsidies for Pioneers.
Would the govt step in to really reduce the cost of medical and dental care. $200 or more for a visit to a dental clinic for a simple filling and other minor services that may not be needed, is just too high for seniors and retirees, especially after substantial subsidies from the govt. Can you imagine how much was the total bill without subsidies for such simple procedures?
This is a red flag incident and must be investigated and stopped immediately before more seniors and pioneers are made to pay so much for so little, despite the govt's intent to bring down the cost for the poor seniors with substantial subsidies. Something is not right.
This can be something for the new PM to look at.
PS, Cleaning up this dental subsidy scheme to help the seniors from being robbed is a job cut out for Lawrence Wong.
13 comments:
Do you realize that Dentist are ripping us off and benefitting from all the so-called subsidies trotted out by the Government? Older people are the best clients for them to practice their hanky panky, with imaginary visits to claim from such schemes? Not often are they caught, because the elderly are mostly ignorant victims.
Never believe the miw subsidies, every policy is about not giving sinkie too much welfare otherwise they will develop an entitlement mentality. But it fine for miw to have a million salary entitlement mentality. An example of how miw subsidies work: If the product cost is $10, they will sell you at $20. Then tell you they subsidy $5 & sell you at $15. They will laugh to the bank with profit of $5. Sillyporean will feel very grateful to miw for such lovely subsidy.
Mr.RB now they had revised all the charges and subsidies.
Previously I used to go twice a year just for normal cleansing and checkup That's all...
Paid below-$20.00
Now nearly $40 to $50.
Know why? Last time they had no limits of visits and can see anytime you want.
Many took advantage and went several times a tear like nobody business.
Some more they allowed all sorts of claims.
Also you know lah .before they had Pioneer and Merekda Subsidies most of us the elders seldom visits the Dentists lah as too expensive and scared pains pains.
But once we have these subsidies we took the liberty to have more dental care and for me with little teething problems just two visits a year for cleaning and check ups.
So when first start most seniors and elders had mostly bad and very bad poor hygiene of their teeth.
That's the boom time Charlie for the Dentists as most had to overhaul particularly their teeth.
And the Health Authority paid for all of them with just a token amount from the patient.
Some unscrupulous Dentists took it as a goldmine as they can simply filled in truths and untruths claims that the patients does not know what they doing.
Just signed lah Ah Gong or Ah Kong paid what.
So many got caught later as you be surprised they can even makan hundreds of thousands from these false claims.
So the Health Ministry woke up when they found unsustainable budget and plug all loopholes.
Now just two visits a year. Extra visit you must pay the Consultation Fee etc.
That's why now so strict.
Last time before the Mederaka had these benefits I used to book twice a year without any problem of meeting that twice yearly checkups.
Now too bad one check up this year and next checkup another year as now cannot meet dateline anymore to have two visits within a year.
Mederaka you sabok Ah!
Joke Joke
As a poor elderly, laugh at me if you like, but I already do not need visiting the dentist for skinning, oops scaling, servicing or teeth cleaning. I have a full set of dentures with no natural teeth left to hold those dentures down. And it works fine for me, and even eating moderately hard food is not a big problem.
And I save on toothpaste, toothbrushes, toothaches and getting slaughtered by immoral dentist out to make a killing. Cleaning dentures is a breeze, and having a completely clean and odourless mouth like a baby is refreshing to know.
Truth be told, I was urged not to pull out all the few remaining natural teeth, but after some bad experience with dentist, I insisted on being toothless, as that would mean saving me having to visit the dentist to make donations and making new dentures every now and then with every extraction. Sure, minor additions can be made after each natural teeth is extracted, but it is not without problems, like losing bite strength.
But, laugh if you like, it suits me fine. Fine for my pocket and having no necessity to make appointments months in advance, now that the subsidies are fueling long queues for some dental clinics. There is a new goldmine in town for those dentist still knowing how to game the system. The subsides are a windfall for them. But for poor folks like me, the current situation regarding cost gives me comfort that I did the right thing.
Now also applied to GP outpatient Doctors.
Once more than two visits you have to pay Consultation fees of $25.00
Hi Bro Anon 12.44
What's you posted a very hilarious and truthful one.
Cheers
The government needs to intervene to regulate the prices to make sure that it is reasonable and affordable and real. Not because of subsidies and they can keep marking up the prices.
My friend Merekda even went to the SGH Dental Clinic for his problems set of teeth.
Paid nearly one thousand.
Wah no monies chia lat.
That's why I did not register the what's Healthy SG where you have a sort of contract or agreement with a certain clinic and doctor in the private sector if you want.
I rather go to SGH Polyclinic no doubt queues long long but there any requirements of further examination of x rays or blood tests, under one roof.
Private clinics refered you to certain their other clinics or their agents for all these tests and then have to go there and later return to clinics for results and review.
Aiyo so troublesome.
Then different Consultations they will charged you $25.00 to be paid by you cash.
Whereas Polyclinic charged minimum or just one time.
Now many private GPs also gian png liao.
One time I went to buy a packet of antibiotics for my dental appointment as i needed to swallow a packet of eight one hour before appointment for my knee cap operations that they required such regulation.
I had lost the packet as given by my Denist.
The counter clerk told me as only first time Consultation paid $25.00 to my Mediasave Flexi of 300$.
I thought wah piang just buy one packets antibiotics have to pay $25.00 some more excluding the payment for the antibiotics.
So to make it worth, I itchy backside asked Doctor whether since I am here cam have Flu Jab or not as due soon for next jab.
She said OK and then jab and paid for the antibiotics, Consultation and jab
Next day, the clinic assistant called me and said I must pat another $25.00 as now the jab that I requested is supposed to be considered as second Consultation.
Now cash no medisave.
Must come and pay.
I said go to Hell I am not paying.
You all so Gian.png
Actually cannot blame.them as they had condos mortgage to pay and also car installments to pay. Etc
So must find ways to slaughter you all.
Likewise the Dentists who charged anyhow on the old folks as they thought the Health Ministry would not check.
Want to eat go slow lah.
To many big figures they checked lah.
Cheers
Just to add when run out some medications that are prescribed by Doctors even those ezema common creams also must see Dr and have their hoo.(prescription)
Costs you consultantions $25.00 excluding the medications which may only costs less$10.00.
Also apply on body one not consume oral.
They have this rule for the Doctors to make more monies.
So many countries over the counter their citizens can just buy them.
No need queue up see Dr asked for prescription and then paid a big sum which the medications is only a few dollars only.
As i posted earlier this is for the Drs to have extras to pay for their high standard and costs of livings in grandeur.
I guess if you migrate from Polyclinics to GPs, you cannot ask for additional medications that are over and above your usual needs, unless you give them advance notice for the GPs to have them in stock. Not every GP have a pharmacy that is as big as in a Polyclinic for sure.
This is one reason I did not want to migrate to GPs as I can get all the additional medication besides the usual ones on the spur of the moment and all conveniently at Polyclinics. If additional medication needs a second visit to a GP, what are the charges they will levy and that is my other question. There are things they do not tell you, until you get toasted.
Moreover, almost every necessary simple procedure or examination can be done in most Polyclinics - e.g. like blood test, ECG, X-rays, eye-tests, everything is in house. If you visit a GP, you may have to go running around or go back to the Polyclinics to do all these as GPs do not have such facilities, well maybe only blood tests where blood samples have to be sent to specialized entities to be analyzed. That means going back for the result will necessitate paying the cost of another visit.
If no one complains, their attitude is that, see, no complaints, so everything is fine.
This high cost of dental care is robbery, and robbing the poor seniors, many unable and did not know how to complain. The effort of the govt to reduce medical and dental costs through subsidies is being eroded, undermined, by not policing it to make sure the real benefits get down to the people.
What is the point of having subsidies when the actual cost to the victims is the same or even higher, after the so called subsidies?
That's right Anon 9.14
That's our points.
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