1/12/2014
Insurance schemes – When conscience pricks
Han Fook Kwang politely asked a few questions in his column with the title, ‘Insurers should treat customers better’. He just received a notice by his insurer that the premium for his medical insurance would be doubled to keep pace with the changing landscape of medical insurance. The Medishield Life, before even being implemented, is already showing its true colours and claiming its first casualty. Everyone, got money no money, life worth living or unworthy of living, healthy or unhealthy, young and old, there is no where to run. Get your cash ready to pay and pay for your medical insurance.
Han Fook Kwang wants the insurers to explain why should be the premium be raised and doubled. He expects a little civility like informing the payers and talking to the payers. He only asked to be treated better.
Wait a moment, is he compelled to pay for his private medical insurance? In a way, since he has been paying for several years and changing an insurer is not the convenient thing to do so for people with the money to pay. His main worry is the road ahead. How often would this doubling of premiums be done as he ages and when he retires and there is no income? He theoretically has another 30 years to pay and each doubling of premiums can be awesome. And mind you, Han Fook Kwang is no ordinary average Sinkie. If he is concerned, the average Sinkies with no savings, no jobs and no income are going to have an interesting time paying for compulsory Medishield Life. They can avoid the private insurers but not the one that would use the law to force them to buy insurance and to pay for it.
Now the bigger question, can anyone, even the govt, force the people to buy and pay a life time of insurance premiums? Do the people have a choice not to buy medical insurance? There are people who do not wish to live another day longer and a medical condition is welcomed to take them out of the drudgery of a meaningless and moneyless life.
Han Fook Kwang asked the rights of the insurers to suka suka raise premiums. But he has a choice to stop his medical policy if the price is not right. Do the rest of the people have the choice to say no? Why are the people being forced to pay against their will for something they do not want?
Did the people vote for a govt to compel them to buy medical insurance for life, for a life not worth living and when they don’t have any income or savings to pay for?
Does anyone see anything wrong with this concept of forcing people to buy medical insurance? Next time they may even force you to buy your coffin beforehand or pay for your cremation and a place at the columbarium.
This is the only country where an elected govt, not a dictatorship mind you, could suka suka decide how to spend the people’s money, to compel them to buy things that they did not want or wish to. And it thinks it has the right to do so. Anyone understand the meaning of daylight robbery?
I think it is kind of a habit. When the people get used to it, when the govt gets used to it, it becomes a new normal, to make things compulsory for the people to pay. Not paying becomes an offence or a crime. All those who cannot pay will become automatic criminals, violators of the law.
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Regardless of whatever feedback on medishield life i am pretty sure the premiums will be substantial and more so when one ages. I worried as i believe the govt has has lack the will to help citizens based on past actions on healthcare. I envisaged society will be will be greatly divided not only on this issue but also on pwp, transport, housing etc... This divide can only grow wider each passing year and am not confident govt has the will nor the answers to this mess which was created by past incapable ministers. Someone once said paid peanuts get monkeys but apparently pay millons still get monkeys.
Fuck lah....
My cpf is... already not my coffin money any more
Think it's more like pek kim for a live zombie... aka old fart, more precisely called kuan yew.
Knnccb.... to hsien loong n papigs, may your descendants bear the fruits of your actions.. tui li zu zhong sap bap toi
"the premium for his medical insurance would not be double"
I think you mean "would be doubled"?
RB, though I feel the same way as u do but Bo bian 60% felt otherwise. If not the 60% can vote them out what in 2016 as the medishield shit should be out before 2016. One of the strategies they always do is the first premium is only up a slightly plus some more offset by rebate of greater amount. Then sinkies think good deal and welcome it then few years later the true color shows then sinkies kena whacked.
If you look at the past it's always like that Tio Bo?
Thanks sgcynic, amended.
This regime would not last. There are so many educated Sinkies who are looking at the big picture and cannot tolerate the nonsense they are seeing happening. I don't think it will survive 2016.
If the govt lacks the will to help the people you should be very thankful for that. It is a blessing.
It is when they are planning and scheming to help the people that you must be afraid, be very afraid.
"When the people get used to it, when the hen the people get used to it, when the govt gets used to it, it becomes a new normal, to make things compulsory for the people to pay. to make things compulsory for the people to pay."
RB
Tiok.
Just like death, or nearing death.
Going to die can also be frightening, but when people get used to it, it becomes a new normal, they will not fear it and accept death as part of living.
"There are so many educated Sinkies who are looking at the big picture and cannot tolerate the nonsense they are seeing happening. I don't think it will survive 2016."
RB 11:00 am
Hahahahaha. U mean there were not many educated Sinkies in 2011 meh?
And WP will be ready to be govt in 2016 meh? I think only 7% chance lah.
"I think only 7% chance lah."
Anon 11:13 am
Tiok. Not surprising if PAP can even win back Aljunied GRC.
Because by now, it must have dawned on the 54% in Aljunied that there is not much difference, if at all, even if PAP had won in 2011.
" ... it becomes a new normal, to make things compulsory for the people to pay. Not paying becomes an offence or a crime. All those who cannot pay will become automatic criminals, violators of the law. "
it's the same with voting right?
"... it becomes a new normal, to make it compulsory for the people to vote PAP. Not voting PAP becomes an offence or a crime. All those who do not support PAP will become automatic criminals, violators of the law. "
Thrifty leader
“For a long time, I couldn’t even afford food and clothing. I climbed from the very bottom of the society.” –Zong Qinghou
But Zong doesn’t look like your average multi-billion dollar CEO. He wears average clothes, eats tofu and pickled vegetables for lunch with his employees in the staff canteen and lives off of $20 a day. His hard work and meticulousness are also praised by his employees and business partners. It’s no wonder he has grown his business from a small shop serving school children to a successful empire that continues to grow.Zong Qinghou is the Founder and CEO of Hangzhou Wahaha Group. The most impressive thing about Zong is his humble beginnings, focused mindset and simple lifestyle. Zong went from selling soda and popsicles to schoolchildren to owning 15% of China’s soft drinks market and becoming the wealthiest man in mainland China.
Zong was born in 1954 in Zhejiang, China. From 1964 to 1978, Zong lived and worked on a farm commune during Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution where he read Communist books about leadership and persevering through struggling times. Although Zong only finished secondary school, he was dedicated to working hard in order to achieve a better life for himself and his family. “When you are poor, you’ll have to think of ways to be better off” says Zong. And that’s exactly what he did. After Deng Xiaoping came to power, Zong was able to move back to his home province in Hangzhou.
With limited education, Zong could only find menial work at a local school. Through hard work and dedication, Zong eventually moved up to a salesman for a consumer-goods company. It wasn’t until 1987 that Zong’s first real business venture took off. With a $22,000 loan from family members, he and two of his retired teacher friends took over a mini grocery store that sold beverages and milk products to school children in the Shangcheng District.
Zong was diligent in his spending, ensuring that he did not spend any more than what they would make in profits. They started out selling cheap items, however Zong recognized that in order for the business to survive long-term, they would need to start manufacturing their own products and expanding the business. In 1989, Zong formally established Hangzhou Wahaha (“laughing child”), producing nutritional food and drinks for children. With limited options for food and beverage in the community, the business was a hit. So much so, that by 1991 Zong was able to take over an old state-run canned food factory and formed the Hangzhou Wahaha Group Corporation.
Zong’s business expanded to other areas over the years, including a joint venture with Groupe Danone in 1996 which brought them into the bottled water and dairy products making industry and expanded their reach to over 30 new ventures. In 2007 the companies ended their partnership; however Wahaha was able to pick up the pieces and continue its success, becoming the largest beverage company in the People’s Republic of China.
Zong is most noted for his diligent workaholic attitude and attention to detail. He still insists on reviewing every office expense, even for small items and personally signs off on every major spending decision. He lives on only $20 a day and tells reporters, “my only exercise is doing market research…my only hobbies are smoking and drinking tea.” Even his wife and daughter work in the company and it is said that he sometimes sleeps in the office building.
Despite his billion dollar success, Zong Quinghou remains a humble man and leads a simple life. He serves as a sharp contrast to many of the extravagant business leaders of today. He detests fancy meals and banquets and makes it a point to eat the same food as his staff in the company’s cafeteria. He wears a simple wardrobe and has been quoted as saying, “people cannot tell if I were wearing clothes worth a thousand (US$160) or a hundred (US$16) yuan, so why would I want to spend money on them?” Although Zong is extremely proud of his success, he clearly hasn’t lost sight of where he came from.
http://www.businessinsider.com/17-lottery-winners-who-blew-it-all-2013-5
http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21571136-politicians-both-right-and-left-could-learn-nordic-countries-next-supermodel
The reasons Nordic success:
Low Gini co-efficiency? Cleaners and constructions salaries $few thousand per month? High equality?
High birth amount developed countries, born out of wedlock govt take care of them? 1.8?
Job security, don't need worry of job taken by cheaper foreigners?
Cost efficient government? Ministers average pay only $200K per year?
Multi parties system? Different talents came from different parties, not the same one party? If one party failed other parties can take over?
Emplowering and nurturing its own people? Bring out people highest potential from babies to old age?
Free education, Job loss benefits, old age benefits and health benefits? Taxes are their own savings?
Many Nobel prizes winners, Olympic champions, very successful multi-national companies?
Nordic Government able to take criticism, view critics and oppositions voices, as an opportunity, on its own shortcoming rather as a threat ?
http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21570835-nordic-countries-are-probably-best-governed-world-secret-their
Singapore system of importing people and one party system?
Many Nobel prizes winners, Olympic champions, very successful multi-national companies?
If PAPigs want to stay in power forever in Singapore.
How can they achieve this?
POSSIBLE ANSWER?
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By grinding and crushing Singaporeans to the ground?
By impoverishing Singaporeans?
Does this mean that if PAP is no longer government, then Singaporeans will be much better off?
How does it benefit a Singaporean to vote PAP?
How does always Paying and Paying benefit a Singaporean?
How does being unemployed benefit a Singaporean?
>> Do the people have a choice not to buy medical insurance?
They will make it "unattractive" for you to be uninsured.
In other words, eventually, NO CHOICE. In a way, this is good, to keep the system sustainable and affordable.
See: Affordable Excellence.
What do you expect from a political party founded by a Chinese guy working for the Imperial Japanese Army as a translator?
Insurance experts (Mr Tan Kin Lian ?) any comments ? What if someone has a policy that he had kept alive for 15 years, and the premium is doubled and affordability becomes an issue ? Surrendering the policy would also result in big losses. What can he do ?
Which is why contesting 100% seats as one party and winning 93% in a GE is so important.
And only PAP can contest 100% seats as one party.
If an opposition party can do that, I think they will also win like how the PAP won.
Between now and 2016, I am hoping for a Sinkie to emerge as a leader of such an opposition party.
Or else for the 40% daft and suffering Sinkies, no hope lah.
"Between now and 2016, I am hoping for a Sinkie to emerge as a leader of such an opposition party."
Anon 9:45 pm
Fat hope lah. If can happen, it will be already happened in 2011 or earlier. No need to wait until 2016.
And please don't hope again. HOPE is a 4 letter word.
Tiok.
And much as the 40% Sinkies hate it 100%, but Low Thia Khiang is 100% right to say WP is not ready to be govt.
Because there is no way to achieve in 2 or 3 years when it cannot even be achieved after 46 years, tio bo?
"Because there is no way to achieve in 2 or 3 years when it cannot even be achieved after 46 years, tio bo?"
Anon 10:00 pm
Not really lah. I think does not apply to GRC and by election won by opposition, or the little India riots, tio bo?
OK lah, riots cannot count, because it was not Sinkies who rioted.
Overpaying themselves causes many problems to the society?
The over attachment to material wealth causes many sufferings?
The Nordic felt that around $200K per year is enough for a good living of a minister?
Singapore cheapest foreign worker cost only $2 per hour, if a person can live buy $450 per hour, why should they live the so much salaries, there is no reasons?
Wanting to pay themselves these amount need lots of taxes because the highest salaries, the can't be taxes is low, so that got to get it from the indirect taxes, therefore heavily straining systems? They need to find money everywhere to support their pay?
Now is the internet age, soon many people will aware of the situation we are in and the new citizens too?
They should gradually find reasons slowly, to reduce their salaries to the level of that of Nordic, so that situation back to normal?
Now because Singapore such a small country average hardly earn enough as inflation keep rising because they need a huge amount of indirect taxes to maintain their pay? And we have amount the widest income gap?
They got to get the taxes from everywhere? Through the CPF locked up schemes and slowly they will get enough from others sources?
The got to think in long run, Singaporean got difficulties in maintaining their highest pay?
Logically there is a limit the local can maintain their extremely pay, so they need to import foreigners to maintain their high pay and to votes for them?
While continue to bring people, to replace those more and more w vote for opposition, they calculate it need 150K of people for find here to vote for them therefore reduce the mandate to rule again?
Come on bring in more and more new citizens don't benefit the average much except increase the price of goods and facilities, longer waiting hours?
Many countries don't need to import so many people still do very well, like the Nordic?
Because they need the foreigners to pay for the COE, GST, ERP, Levies and other indirect taxes, so that they can maintain their pay?
An continue oversupply and keep increase the foreigners don't benefit much the new citizens, more people come their will be less jobs available and many local got to get lower or depress pay?
The law of supply and demand in actions, it can't be more people more jobs or higher pay something wrong?
Not only more people there will be less jobs available, there will be other side effect of overpopulation, straining of the systems shown, more and more as greater and greater demand for various things?
Nordic populations is constant, the low pay workers is very high few thousand$ per month, due to the find other ways to compensate for the lack of manpower?
There for more and better solutions were found and better standard of living for the average person?
With 5.3 millions people, more and more strains coming out, if 6.9 million, you could imagine the scale of problems Singaporean got to face?
Paying themselves several millions a year and the people a few thousands a year. They need a lot of taxes and income to keep their salaries coming. Who is paying for their salaries?
Everyone of you will hit 60, 70, 80 and beyond. That is when your trouble starts with a premium that is going to double and double.
You cannot run away from ageing. You have to stop this atrocious compulsory premium robbery when you are old and have no income to pay.
Use to fear getting sick. Now a new fear and no need to get sick.
No money to pay for medical insurance when old. This one cannot run, cannot hide, cannot avoid. Not everyone will get sick but everyone will get old and jobless.
What is so wrong about having a Singapore government to pay the insurance premiums for Singaporeans above 55 years of age?
If the govt pays your insurance premiums no more money left to pay their exhorbitant salary leow.
They sure know how to count and what is more important than paying your premiums.
A national insurance scheme must do away with the middle man and the profit motive. The premiums must be adjusted annually with the surplus ploughed back to benefit the insured.
Allowing a middle man and profit to be in the equation will distort the goals of the scheme and hurt the interests of the insured but benefit the people waiting to squeeze the insured for more money.
It will be a very sad case for the people to be squeezed dried.
Even without profit motive, without a middle man, when a compulsory scheme is in place, in the wrong hand, it is so easy to make the insured pay and pay, the sky the limit.
Just raise medical fees and the insured will have not choice and none the wiser. Just pay and pay.
Insurance operators everywhere are there just for one thing: to make as much profit as possible.
I am pleased to read your post. I was searching for the related topic you discussed in there. Good job. All the best.
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