1/15/2008
Taiwan healthcare more affordable
Liu I Chun wrote an article in the Today paper on the Taiwan Healthcare system. He said that the Taiwanese system is not only more affordable than Singapore's, its waiting time to see a specialist is also shorter. He gave an example of an eye specialist bill of $44, complete with diagnostic tests and consultations. And this is half the cost in Singapore. 'And one can see a specialist (no referrals needed) on the day itself if there are last minute appointment cancellations.'
What is interesting is the World Bank Report he quoted on healthcare expenditure as a porportion of GDP, 4.6% for low income nations, 6% for middle income nations and 11.2% for high income nations. And Taiwan as a high income nation, spends only 6.2%
Better still, Singapore, another high income nation, spends only 4% of its GDP on healthcare. I take this as a compliment for being efficient, providing a good healthcare system at a lower cost vis a vis the GDP.
What Liu suggested, and I wholely agree, is that Singapore can afford to spend a little more to subsidise the health cost for its people.
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9 comments:
Taiwan is so good. I am exchanging my Singapore passport for a Taiwanese one tomorrow. Anyone else wants to join me ?
Dear anon 2:26PM,
Glad that you find Taiwan is good for you. But, please finish your national service first. Is your family going too? I believe that they will also find Taiwan is good too.
Please go. Be the first to queue for the passport tomorrow. Also, please send my regards to Chen SB.
Wish you best of luck.
What is national service ?
Thank you for your reply.
BTW Taiwan health policy is so good that the government is broke because of it.
That's good because it means the govt is spending money for the benefit of the people. What use is it having a govt that has a ccumulated $100 billion in reserves but use it to bail out troubled US investment banks instead of spending for the benefit of citizens.
ya, taiwan system no good. unsustainable. ours very good. taiwan hospitals in the red by nearly $500m. compare to what they are getting and their population size, is that bad?
public hospitals when turned into a business concern will lose its original reason for existence.
Well beanie, bad or otherwise, at least the Taiwanese govt has got its priorities right. Can you honestly say that putting the interests of the shareholders of American banks over and above that of the people they were elected to serve is any better ? Now that is a million dollar decision, if there ever is one.
i am just wondering if you put an average grad from the universities of polytechnics, would he be able to come out with a better solutions to all our problems.
i am sure raising erp rates shouldn't require exceptional talents.
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