8/30/2014

Is healthcare subsidy part of government grant?




Or just an avenue to to claim something else?

This is the bill of my 15 year old child who had waited for hours to see a
doctor for 5 minutes.

1-The consultation fee “full amount” is stated as “$38.97”.

Consultation fees of private clinics like the Healthway Medical Group range
from $22 to $35. In my child’s case, it would have been about only $22 at a
private clinic.  There are also neighbourhood private clinics charging
below this rate. The consultation fees at public clinics are expected to be
much lower for obvious reasons eg. no rental cost, lower staff salaries,
etc

Why do polyclinics jack up consultation fees to about 100% above average
private consultation fees and then subsequently offer an unbelievable
grant?

2 – The full amount of Paracetamol is stated as “$5.29”. But the retail price of a box of 20 tablets is only $2.50 at Guardian. Why do polyclinics mark up more than 100% from retail price and than offer an unbelievable grant?

A better comparison would of course be online prices. In the UK, a box of
16 tablets costs about S$0.50, which is a fraction of the stated price at
polyclinics.

MOH purchases Paracetamol in bulk which should mean they are even cheaper
than online prices. Which company does the MOH buy at such high prices from?

3 – Government grant – “46.12”. A grant is an expenditure item. Which companies are the recipients of all such government grants?

Attendance at polyclinics was 4,623,600 in 2013. If government grants
averaged $46 per patient last year, more than $212 million would have been
paid out by the government. Who ultimately receives the grants?

Instead of reigning in public healthcare costs, the PAP government uses tax
dollars (grants) to support and increase healthcare costs to unaffordable
levels. How could a visit to a polyclinic for a common ailment such as cough cost
$54 (before grants) when private clinics are charging much less?

This is ridiculous considering polyclinics:

- do not pay rent
- are not profit making
- have overall lower staff costs
- purchase medication in bulk
- provide a lower service than private clinics eg longer waiting time.

Conclusion

It is wrong for the PAP government to privatise public healthcare costs and
subsequently offer a “government grant”’. Hundreds of millions of dollars
have been paid out as “government grant”.

Phillip Ang


I received the above article through the mail. Looking at the numbers raised by Phillip Ang, they raised many questions on the funny formula of subsidies and govt grants. Why is there a necessity to have this complicated formula when a patient needs only to pay the net amount?

This reminds me of the PGP and the discounts that the pioneer generations are supposed to receive. What if like the above article has said, the fees have already been raised and the subsidies or discounts are as good as meaningless? Does anyone has any official figures on the hikes in medical fees and prices of medicine over the last 12 months to prove that there are indeed substantial hikes that will negate all the good discounts and the good feelings of the pioneers that they are really going to get a good deal?

If the hikes are more than the discounts or subsidies, then what? If the hikes are equivalent to the discounts or subsidies, it would mean LPPL.

Kopi Level - Blue. Thank you.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Too complicated to figure it all out. So Singaporeans better pay up and ask no questions. In UK we pay nothing for consultation and medication is a fixed cost per item, no mater what the medication. If over counter is cheaper than we pay over the counter cost. 60 years old and above get medication totally free of charge. Singapore government is rich, they should offer free medication for senior citizens too.

Anonymous said...

There is a psychological aspect to the endless giving of "grants" or "subsidies", instead of a simple payment of the net sum. It makes the "recipient" grateful for the small mercies conferred on him/her. The "giver", the government and its agencies, not the Opposition, will gain political mileage. It is all a game to them, with the citizens the victims.

Anonymous said...

The people are smiling every time the govt reported how much they have in the reserves. And the money in the reserves is very safe, would not run away. Sure to be there one. How much no one knows, but plenty plenty billions.

Anonymous said...

It is just evil.

patriot

Anonymous said...

I once question the cashier on the grant and asked her was the grant suppose to make me feel good when the net amount was still so high. She just laugh! Cause she knew it is all bullshit!

Anonymous said...

The grant is to make you feel song. Actually so expensive ah. Now govt gives you so much grants and so much subsidies, song bo?

Kam sia, kam sia.

Anonymous said...

Realee ah.. so verlee good. Stinkapore realee have subsidies

Set the rate, tinkle with these rate... jacking up these rates, offer discount

So good papigs.. thus daft must b grateful hor

Leemember.. vote 4 papigs

Anonymous said...

It is not my job as a citizen to investigate this article.
It is my job as a citizen to vote Opposition MPs into parliament to investigate this article.

Anonymous said...

"Singapore government is rich, they should offer free medication for senior citizens too."
August 30, 2014 9:43 am

Why should the PAP government do so?
- Singaporeans will still vote for me even if I tell them the cost of paracetamol is $20/tablet.
- If they ask why?
- I just tell them it is for the greater good of Singapore. Sacrifices have to be made.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

P.S. Big pharma companies LOVE publc healthcare schemes aka "universal healthcare".

This is a sure way of sucking up taxpayer dollars into PRIVATE accounts by "doing deals" with sovereign govts to supply pharmaceuticals for their "Obama-care" type public systems.

Cannot lose lah. Government + Big Multinational Business == BIG FUCKING BUCKS

Anonymous said...

Go private. No problem?

You talking thru your ass again. If you are in private I bet you all your asets would not be enough for one strike. You will go down on your knees and beg for mercy.

Talk until like you got all the money in the whole world. Die also don't know how to write.

Anonymous said...

Hi Matilah, I think you have hit a sore spot of Anon 6..56. I could be he has been stung by private medical bill. Cannot blame him. Private medical care in Singapore is very very expensive. Had a cut finger some time ago. It was getting sore after a few days, so I went to Raffles. Saw the doctor and had the cut washed and bandage and was prescribed a course of antibiotics. I was with the doctor for 3 minutes and the nursed washed and bandaged me, 5 minutes. The bill came to S$80. I was shocked. So cannot blame people for getting uptight when you mentioned " PRIVATE ".1094

Anonymous said...

Hi Matilah, I think you have hit a sore spot of Anon 6..56. I could be he has been stung by private medical bill. Cannot blame him. Private medical care in Singapore is very very expensive. Had a cut finger some time ago. It was getting sore after a few days, so I went to Raffles. Saw the doctor and had the cut washed and bandage and was prescribed a course of antibiotics. I was with the doctor for 3 minutes and the nursed washed and bandaged me, 5 minutes. The bill came to S$80. I was shocked. So cannot blame people for getting uptight when you mentioned " PRIVATE ".

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ anon 725:

PRIVATE maybe more expensive because it reflects the TRUE COST of healthcare -- you use, you pay.

PUBLIC (socialised medicine) is cheaper to the individual because many people who do not use the system are still FORCED to contribute money to run the system.

Most people consider healthcare to be an "entitlement". I'm of the OLD FASHIONED belief considering healthcare to be more like a 'LUXURY" good -- i.e. you can only consume it if you have the means.

To alleviate the high IMMEDIATE cost of PRIVATE healcare, there is a solution tried, true and tested: BUY INSURANCE YOU FUCKING STINGY LOSER MORONS!.

People will pay a govt tax of (say) $90k COE for their new car...sometimes even BIDDING UP the COE to astronomical amounts...but when it comes to paying $20-30k for a pregnancy they lose their fucking mind and SCREAM for "the govt to help" them.

Fuck them all with a rusty syringe lah!