10/23/2010
Everything is subsidised!
Leong Sze Hian wrote in TOC about his friend's encounter with govt privatised hospital and private profit making hospital and the fees they charged. The govt privatised hospital's fees are heavily subsidised(that was I think) while the private hospital fees are not.
For the operation of a cyst that took 15 minutes, the cost quoted by the govt privatised hospitals that included paying a visit to the polyclinic to earn the right for subsidies came to $600. Leong's friend went direct to a private hospital, preparing to pay more as there was no subsidy and the bill came to $287. And this did not take into consideration the wait and wait because of the long queue of subsidised patients waiting to be treated in privatised govt hospitals.
Below is the detail numbers quoted from Leong Sze Hian's article.
'She subsequently went to a private hospital, and was operated on, on the spot by a surgeon, in a 15 minute day surgery, costing only $287.
The total costs of the polyclinic consultation ($9.50), Government restructured hospital consultation ($29 after a $57 subsidy) and day surgery, were $600. Since there are no subsidies in private hospitals, it is puzzling why a simple 15 minute cysts removal day surgery at a Government restructured hospital’s subsidised rate is more than double that of a private hospital.'
Sometimes it can be very scary when one hears the term subsidies. The subsidies for public housing is just as pleasantly scary.
Who needs more subsidies please put up your hand.
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9 comments:
In time to come, Singaporeans will also run for cover whenever the word subsidy is mentioned. They already are afraid of 'help'.
Singaporeans deserve the Government they voted for. So, just keep on voting for them and get all the 'help' and 'subsidies'.
Amen and Amitabha.
Forget about subsidy,privatise or not.
Many people like to spend money on those non emergency and unnecessary medical treatment.This has cause unnecessary increase in medical fees.,resulting in poor people having to pay more for sickness that really warrant a treatment.
My recent diarrhoea will cost me at least 15 dollars to see a doctor.
ME, a traditinal kampong suakoo prefer traditional medicine and buy some pills from the sinseh.It cost me less than 5 dollars.
Now can jump like a frog,still save ten dollars .
Many types of condition need not see a doctor and get poorer for nothing.For many cases ,just apply traditional koyok on it and it will dissapear after some time.hehe..
First, we must define the terms in discussion as well as the context they're in. This fosters better understanding of the abstract.
Subsidies in this context means government assistance aka "help".
Like everything else, -- the magical solution to all problems big and small -- requires resources, and resources at any given time (on the margin) are always "scarce". In the case of help/ subsidies the resource is invariably MONEY -- which can only come TO the subsidies by transferring it FROM production or savings...and in recent times, thanks to the financial geniuses on Wall St: DEBT. i.e. the govt BORROWS to provide MONEY to fund the SUBSIDIES. Judging from riots in Greece, France and the Glorious Greatest Global Conquerer of All Time -- the UK, we know how govt borrowing to fund subsidies eventually turns out: wonderful opportunity for scroogy capitalist pigs to pickup debt-killed undervalued assets for rupiahs on the dollar, and cutting deals with the govt to "help" them -- like tax breaks, cheap loans, fast-track legislation, and like typical hero-capitalists, win the day. They always, in the long run, if they last the distance, end up building their fiercely protected, rapidly expanding pile of chips ==> an image for Wally. Hope it helps rejuvenate your temperamental pecker :-)
Anyway, back to subsidies. Now it gets interesting. To those who agree that subsidies are a GOOD thing, pose a question?
WHO should get these "subsidies"? WHO should be "helped"?
Big business? SME's? Charities? Schools? Citizens Requiring Accommodation? (HDB), Private housing subsidies? Banks? GLC's, Local Arts? Film? TV, Telcos? Defense Contractors? Ethnic minorities? Ethnic Majorities?
...and more. All of the above have at some time received govt subsidies (help). And EVERYONE of them has FAILED, but the GOVERNMENT STAYS IN BUSINESS! (thanks to your ever-growing "contribution")
Who funds the subsidies? YOU, fucker. That's who. So yeah, knock yourselves out -- ask for more and more subsidies. BRAINSTORM areas and interests in your lives which could benefit from GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES.
Subsidies are a norm in all modern societies. Sooner or later, they'll be a critical mass of people who believe that some subsidy is always required.
Then over time, more people come together once again, like a loving brotherhood, and decide that SOME MORE subsidy is required -- and the govt has to EXPAND in order to COPE will all that burdensome extra help imposed upon them by the whining people.
In time, the level of taxation is 75%, with a 15% GST imposed on top.
The bulk of your -- yes, you, fucker -- income now goes to the state, so that the govt can subsidise and HELP all those "needy" bums. And because now the govt controls EVERYTHING, because EVERYTHING receives subsidies and thus becomes controlled by the govt -- less autonomy for private enterprise, more expensive regulation, restriction -- effectively the govt is now YOUR BOSS.
Another reason why subsidies won't be going away, is because of the intense political nature of govt "help". Very simply:
You vote for me. I'll "help" you!
This classic caper has been working since the Greeks invented democracy and the French perfected it, and the nation was fought, won and lost on the hustings -- by fair means, but usually FOUL.
-contd-
So, relax, take heart that there'll always be subsidies. Maybe you get some govt cheese. Maybe your boss. Maybe that large MNC you slavishly work for, perhaps your bank, your kid's school, your home...
And since the idea of subsidies is already there, you might as well use it and ask the govt to subsidize everything!!
Go for it fuckers!!
I under what is market subsidy. I am told if market price is $100, never mind how much it cost, and if an entity charges you $90, it is subsidising you $10.
In this case, govt hospital charged $600, private hospital $287, so negative subsidy of $313. Or can say private hospital giving $313 subsidy?
Can say like that can?
To charge you more is to prevent you from abusing government services. It was never meant to make money from public services.
Otherwise, unemployed oldies may take joy rides in our public transports to grope others when opportunities arise due to overcrowdings. They will go to clinics and hospitals to look or be attended to by foreign-born nurses. If we talk about subsidies, they are no different from the 70% discount advertisements put out by retailers.
For jewelleries and cosmetics, a 200% discount will still enable the merchants to profit 300%. That is how it work.
Hmmm, some citizens are thinking like the Government. I guess that's because of the long term repeating of the 'subsidies' logic of the PAP.
Singaporeans really, really, honestly deserve the Government they voted for.
anon 1131:
[...] deserve the Government they voted for <
I'm just being nit-picky here:
The saying (truism): "People get the government they deserve" -- has got nothing to do with "voting" or "democracy".
Even if there is a totalitarian govt in power, who got their power thru conquest, coup or "revolution" -- the people still DESERVE that govt they get -- because the govt is ALWAYS the minority and the only way a minority authority can be supported is if they have the implicit and explicit SUPPORT (even if it is forced or coerced) of the majority i.e. The People/ Citizens of that geographic territory aka "their country".
Ultimately, the buck has to stop somewhere. and invariably it stops with The People.
In fact "The Government" is derived from "The People". Even if the government is of foreign conquerers, where the buck stops is the point where the people must decide and act to reclaim their country, and install their own fucked government.
Deference To Authority mp3, 18mins. aka The Politics of "Obedience" -- how the ruling minority captures the "permission" of the ruled majority.
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