Search the Community

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/more-spending-on-healthcare-does-not-mean-a-healthier-population-ong-ye-kung SINGAPORE - The Republic’s healthcare challenge in the coming years is not spending more, but to ensure that Singapore does not go the way of many OECD countries where healthcare costs are “spiralling and escalating out of control”, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung told Parliament on Wednesday. Better health outcomes can be achieved by continuing with Singapore’s sensible and practical approach of having different layers of safety nets – subsidies, MediShield Life, MediSave and MediFund – and combining it with the Healthier SG strategy to reduce the sickness and disease burden even as the population ages, he added. Mr Ong was responding to Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai’s assertion on Tuesday that the Government has not spent enough to cover Singaporeans’ healthcare costs, and should be spending more to help with medical bills. Mr Leong had cited data to show that the Government’s share of healthcare expenditure is lower than the average among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. The majority of the 38 OECD members are regarded as developed countries. Mr Ong noted that it is widely accepted by health economists that spending more on healthcare does not mean better outcomes. For instance, the United States and Britain spend about 17 per cent and 10 per cent of their gross domestic product on healthcare respectively, compared with Singapore’s 4 per cent. Despite this, both those countries are facing a high incidence of chronic illnesses and high obesity rates, and expected lifespans there are lower than in Singapore, he said. Conversely, Singapore has delivered good outcomes given how much it is spending, while keeping healthcare affordable for the middle- and lower-income groups, Mr Ong added. Seven in 10 Singaporeans in subsidised hospital wards do not pay any out-of-pocket expenses, and nine in 10 pay less than $500 in cash. “So when Mr Leong asked the Government to spend more to lower out-of-pocket expenses further, he really meant to channel resources to unsubsidised patients, that is, those staying in A class wards or private hospitals,” he said. “This is where the big bucks and big expenditure are, and it will push our healthcare expenditure and spending to the levels of OECD countries.” Mr Leong also failed to mention that such spending ultimately has to be raised from the people through taxes, and made no mention of where PSP will get the funding from, Mr Ong added. The reality is that government healthcare spending has already been rising, having tripled between 2011 and 2020, and is expected to triple again between 2021 and 2030, said Mr Ong. Mr Leong had also called for increased spending from the Pioneer Generation (PG) and Merdeka Generation funds, as he felt that spending from those funds has been small relative to their total assets. This understanding is misplaced as both funds were sized based on the projected lifetime cost of the benefits, said Mr Ong. He noted that PG members are as young as 74 and “still have quite a bit of runway ahead of them”, though the Government will continue to review the adequacy of both funds. The Health Minister also responded to Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim’s suggestion that Singapore’s medical infrastructure is too lean, and that the current hospital bed crunch speaks to a need to relook healthcare capacity. Mr Ong said every country is facing a similar crunch post-Covid-19, including the OECD countries despite their higher bed-to-population ratio. The reason for the bed crunch here is that the average length of hospital stay has increased by 15 per cent compared with before the pandemic, he said. This is likely a result of more older people falling ill due to an “immunity debt” as safe management measures were lifted, a problem exacerbated by poorer health from social isolation amid Covid-19. Singapore is catching up on healthcare capacity as projects delayed by Covid-19 – such as the Tan Tock Seng Hospital Integrated Care Hub and Woodlands integrated health campus – are now being completed, said Mr Ong. More transitional care facilities will also be set up to offer rehabilitative care for more stable senior patients. Closing the debate on the motion to support healthcare here beyond the pandemic, Nominated MP Tan Yia Swam responded to Mr Leong’s charge that drug prices were “marked up unreasonably for non-subsidised patients” in order to cross-subsidise others. Dr Tan, who is a breast surgeon, asked if Mr Leong had evidence that this was happening, and noted that non-subsidised patients are those who opt for an A-class or B1-class ward, or foreigners. “I, as a doctor, would think that allowing market forces to determine costings is fair, or would Mr Leong also want taxpayers to pay for everyone?” she asked. Mr Leong said he had heard “feedback from residents (that) they pay different prices when in different classes”, and that while it is understandable for services to be priced differently based on ward class, this should not be the case for drugs. The NCMP had earlier called on the Government to centralise drug procurement across public and private medical institutions, as doing so would reduce the cost of medicine. In response, Mr Ong said Singapore deliberately chose to have a variegated market for healthcare, with private-sector doctors having different business models. For instance, some private doctors charge very low consultation fees but make a margin on the drugs they sell, while others do the reverse, he said. “Sometimes you want to let market forces operate, but at the same time have some discipline through... what we subsidise and what we don’t, and I think that’s how we rein in unnecessary healthcare costs,” said Mr Ong.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/moh-suspends-10-clinics-from-chas-scheme MOH suspends 10 clinics from Chas scheme for severe non-compliance; case referred to police PUBLISHED OCT 8, 2018 SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Health (MOH) has suspended 10 clinics from the Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) for severe non-compliance. The suspension will take place from Oct 23, the MOH said in a statement on Monday (Oct 8). The clinics, which are all under the Access Medical group, had made numerous non-compliant Chas claims such as claims for patient visits or chronic conditions with no relevant supporting documentation. These were revealed following audits by the MOH on the Chas claims. The MOH added that the case has been referred to the police, and the ministry will be referring specific doctors involved to the Singapore Medical Council for further investigation. "MOH takes a serious view of errant practices in making Chas claims," said the statement.

Thought I'd leave this post here from my post in other thread for those who are in medishield ok i do my good deed here For all of you all, your medishield, change to plan A immed......it really saves your pocket. Gahmen puts u on plan b by default. However, you co pay 80%. With just additional loading of not much ALL FR MEDISAVE, and you upgrade to Plan A, you co pay 10% for example, each dialysis session costs $200.....i only pay $20. And monthly it all comes from my medisave...i DUN PAY A CENT. If not u think i can drive my car now?? most prolly not so do yourselves and family a good deed. Call the insurance that services your medishield, either income or GE, and change NOW! u never know when u need it. I am glad i changed when i was healthy..phew!

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/woman-turned-to-private-sector-as-she-had-to-wait-5-months-for-colonoscopy-at-sgh?utm_campaign=stfb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1O5QrDLc3cM1PYFfFgTY543Xvay1q7u1EztWkHdbRz24VN2r-NAkXzoKA https://mothership.sg/2022/03/pregnant-woman-wait-2-hours-nuh-miscarriage/?fbclid=IwAR1tb9c3qQsXHoVhoeApzu6cQN63veDeZNeuHFDaPOD7mH_ID7jqTRz5nLA think really need big change the public hospital before covid ald long waiting time now they don’t treat u wait for few more months

If you have fifteen minutes to spare. This is quite harrowing to listen. 😥

Heya! I am searching for a good healthcare app that has good features and easy to use or navigate. And that is insightful too. Do you guys use any? If you do, what is your favorite healthcare app or software? Happy to hear your thoughts.

10, 20 years from now, we want to remember the faces behind the success of defeating COVID-19. No doubt about it, we will win the fight against the virus. Here's a thread out of the many COVID-19 ones, to remember the people behind our success. From Doctors, Nurses, Cleaners, Social Distancing Ambassadors, SPF, SAF, SCDF, NEA, ICA, MFA ... Let's share stories about these angels. Here's one from NCID to start. Inside Singapore’s COVID-19 screening centre, on the front line against the disease As the number of cases continues to rise, it is all hands on deck at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, where doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers screen hundreds of patients daily. SINGAPORE: At the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) screening centre, one important part of the defence against the pandemic has been none other than ice cream. Charmaine Manauis is hardly joking when she says that. She is the lead consultant in infectious diseases at Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s emergency department, which is in charge of the screening effort. “Ice cream is important; it makes us happy. You see everyone — they have ice cream, they perk up,” the doctor said about her colleagues, and herself. “Plus, it’s hot inside the personal protective equipment. So they love eating ice cream (in the pantry) during their break.” She is certainly not kidding about feeling the heat under their yellow gowns, shower caps, gloves, goggles and N95 masks, which they wear throughout their seven- to 10-hour shifts, except during breaks. “When I remove my yellow gown, I’m usually drenched. It’s really hot,” she said. “When I remove (my mask), then I feel as if I can breathe again.” That is how it has been for the staff running both the TTSH emergency department and the NCID screening centre in the time of the coronavirus. And it is not just emergency doctors who are seeing to the suspected COVID-19 cases. While their department used to have about 20 doctors on shift at any time in the day, it has been a whole new ballgame since Chinese New Year. Hundreds of doctors across different specialities in the hospital — from urology to ENT (ear, nose and throat) to plastic surgery — are being mobilised for training so they can carry out COVID-19 duties too. Since Singapore’s first confirmed case on Jan 23, more than 400 doctors from the hospital have been rostered to work at the NCID screening centre across the road. And the one co-ordinating their training is Manauis, the senior consultant leading the screening efforts — as CNA Insider finds out in an inside look at the frontline battle against COVID-19. GETTING WIND OF THE VIRUS ON HOLIDAY The 42-year-old as well as her boss — Adjunct Assistant Professor Ang Hou, head of the emergency department — were on holiday in December when they first heard of a mysterious disease in Wuhan. “I said, ‘Hm, this might be something.’ So when I came back, the department had already started screening,” recounted Manauis. “We started screening for (travellers from) Wuhan on Jan 2.” That was the day Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that it was monitoring the pneumonia outbreak closely, and sent a circular to medical practitioners here. Whispers of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) started “floating around” TTSH. “We were SARS central back in 2003, so that’s never left the DNA of the department,” said Ang. “You can’t help but relive memories that you’ve been through, especially when you know your colleagues and your friends had been affected very deeply.” The possibility of a second coming did not surprise him, however. “We were always anticipating something like COVID-19 ... We knew that it wouldn’t be a matter of if, but when,” he said. “We knew that by the time it were to come from Wuhan to Singapore, it would’ve been ... a significant outbreak in the world or at least in this part of the region.” The department started screening for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in a “very small, dedicated space”. But even “way before” Singapore’s Disease Outbreak Response System Condition alert was raised to orange, the number of people coming every day “was growing to a scale that we had to move out of (that) physical space”, he added. As the rest of the country wound down for Chinese New Year, furniture had to be moved in, and computers set up, for the NCID screening centre to be activated. “It was a very busy Chinese New Year for a lot of people, not because we were going around celebrating but because we were preparing for the next phase in screening,” said Ang. By Jan 29, the screening centre was up and running round the clock. FROM SCREENING CENTRE TO TENT Those first few weeks of the centre’s operations were “really hectic” for Manauis. “We were on call 24/7. Every Saturday, we’d train (staff). During the week, we’d look at protocols — we’d look at whether our processes were working well, whether we had to manage any choke points in the screening centre,” she recounted. One of those choke points were the X-ray rooms. “If the screening centre was full, then there’d be a queue for X-rays. And so we’d need more efficiency, more radiographers,” she said. Based on the travel history and the chest X-ray results, the doctors had to decide whether the patients had to be warded or could be discharged. For those who needed admission, those were uncertain times. They had many questions. “How long will I stay? What tests will they be doing for me upstairs? How about my family? Do they need to be admitted too?” cited Manauis. The numbers coming for screening kept rising until the load “became quite difficult at one point”, said Ang. That came about when the MOH changed the definition of a suspect case, following the transmission of the coronavirus at a health products shop visited by Chinese tourists. “That led to a lot of patients being referred by their doctors for screening because they’d come into close and frequent contact with travellers from China,” said Ang. “A lot of people in various industries came in, whether they were taxi drivers, tour bus drivers, people who worked in tourist attractions or hotels, airports and casinos. They were all flooding in.” So, after consulting the ministry, TTSH proceeded to swab and discharge these patients, “to conserve beds for patients who were really ill and needed treatment”. Then there was “a strange point in time”, when the number of people coming for screening and the cases confirmed as positive slowed down, even as the numbers were picking up in the rest of the world. “We knew that the numbers would go up sooner or later,” said Ang. “We knew that the screening centre might not be able to cope ... so we made the decision together with the ministry to set up a tentage, to expand the number of places available.” That ended up being the case. On March 23, the TTSH team screened the highest number of people until now: More than 520. “We call it the most terrible Monday,” said Manauis. “The patients came in the afternoon and at night. And at night, we have less manpower. We had to open the tentage until 3am, with a lot of patients having to wait a little bit longer. So that was a struggle.” MIGRANT WORKERS A NEW CHALLENGE There are still hundreds of patients screened daily, although the challenge as of late is not the numbers but the space needed, as the spike has been among migrant workers, and the tent outside the screening centre is “perennially full”. “For these foreign workers, we need to wait for swab results before they can be discharged (if they test negative). So we need a bigger waiting area for them,” said Manauis. “After that, they have to wait for transport also, to bring them back to their dorms. So they can wait for as long as, probably, 18 (to) 20 hours.” WATCH: An exclusive look inside the NCID screening centre (Dur 5:20) While there are now Swab Isolation Facilities like the CherryLoft chalets — where the workers can be sent after their nose swabs — these facilities “are quite full” nowadays, she added. The workers are otherwise unable to self-isolate. "Every day, we’d have to ask whether there’s any vacancy, and then they still need to wait for an ambulance or dedicated transport." While there is swabbing done at the dormitories now, some of the workers need to go to the screening centre depending on their symptoms. If they complain of chest pain or have difficulty breathing, for example, then they need an X-ray, a blood test or an electrocardiogram. As long as they are symptomatic or have had close contact with a positive case of COVID-19, they should be swabbed. An MOH circular sent on Thursday has also updated the swabbing criteria for everyone. Anosmia — the loss of the sense of smell, either total or partial — is now one of the symptoms to look out for, cited Manauis. “There were (research) papers that came out, and there were positive cases which presented only with anosmia,” she explained. The other symptoms still include fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat and gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhoea or vomiting. Since she started on TTSH’s clinical protocols and work instructions for COVID-19 screening and infection controls, Manauis has developed 61 versions for the staff to follow. There is also a workflow for the foreign workers from dormitories, which is at version 17 now. IN FOR THE LONG HAUL She has also trained nine batches of doctors from various departments, with as many as 51 physicians in a batch. They work a 10-day cycle as part of a group of more than 100 people, including nurses and other healthcare workers, running the screening centre. Most of them, even senior specialists, are volunteers, and some have done more than one rotation, although each department is also supposed to contribute a certain amount of manpower. “Screening is very different from what they do every day. So it wasn’t a surprise that they were a little bit apprehensive. But they were very willing to help out,” said Manauis. She is grateful for all the support. At one of the training sessions this month, she told the doctors: “We really need your help on the front line. On behalf of the emergency department, I thank you guys for volunteering.” The thing is, her department is not only working at the screening centre, but also attending to the usual emergency cases. To do this, the staff have cancelled their leave and reduced their days off. “You just have to do your work. I go day by day — whatever needs to be done, needs to be done,” she said with a shrug. “Everyone’s made sacrifices, not only me or not only the doctors ... But we do this willingly because we know that this is our job.” The emergency cases are tended to in a different zone, although that does not mean the staff necessarily get to dispense with personal protective equipment. The forward screening triage nurses, for example, must wear the full equipment. “Sometimes walk-in patients ... are close contacts (of a COVID-19 case), so we have to protect our frontline staff,” said Manauis. To protect the patients as well, one of the changes made is to ensure that they queue at least two metres apart. This, and many of the current arrangements in the emergency department, could be in place for some time. “For those of us who’ve been here for a while, who’ve gone through other outbreaks, we know that, potentially, it’s going to be long-drawn,” said Ang. “It could affect some of our own members — that the memories of SARS come back — and I think it might hit those (employees) a little bit harder.” When asked on Friday about her team’s morale, Manauis, who has been with TTSH for 15 years, gave a cheerful reply. “We’ll try our best to ... help the nation, especially now that (the number) of positive cases has been increasing,” she said. “We’re still okay. We still have ice cream, so we’re happy. I mean, you’ll need to try and pace yourself because we know that this is going to stay for a few more months.” https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/inside-singapore-covid-19-screening-centre-defence-disease-ncid-12656312?cid=fbcna&fbclid=IwAR2aRtq_Z2MAo0V4ZhWSMMaT9GnvC_-dupS3ZWBKls8QOzPkW7931n7Pa0M

Public Announcement Service: On Saturday (Apr 25) at precisely 7.55pm, local celebrities will be singing the ever-popular NDP favourite, Home. The song's composer Dick Lee, along with Rahimah Rahim, Shabir, Taufik Batisah as well as Mediacorp artistes Desmond Tan, Felicia Chin, Rebecca Lim and Vernetta Lopez will be taking part in the event. They will be backed by the 900 members of the Voices Of Singapore choir. Those at home are encouraged to take to your balconies and windows to sing the song as well, wave a torchlight and even record yourselves. Join the entire nation in singing Home to thank healthcare, migrant workers Singalong event, Sing Together Singapore, will take place on Saturday (Apr 25) at exactly 7.55pm and will feature local celebs like Dick Lee, Taufik Batisah, Shabir as well as Mediacorp artistes. Get ready for Singapore’s very own crossover event as the nation’s media industry participates in the biggest singalong event ever, Sing Together Singapore. You can then upload the clip of your performance to social media with the hashtags #singtogetherSG, #SingaporeTogether and #stayhomeforSG. Selected entries will be featured on a special music video that will be shown later that same night at 10.30pm. The massive "karaoke" session is intended to rally Singaporeans to show our support and appreciation for our healthcare and migrant workers. According to the press release on Thursday (Apr 23), the initiative also aims to encourage all Singaporeans to keep their spirits high and to stay united as everyone remains at home during the extended circuit breaker period. “We hope that this small initiative can help to boost some morale and at the same time, show our appreciation to all the frontliners and volunteers who are out there fighting for the nation,” Taufik told CNA Lifestyle. “I do hope the lyrics will be a reminder to us that more than ever we need to stick together and help one another wherever possible.” Lopez added: “Families will be coming together for a very special moment in Singapore's history. Every child should look at their parents and say, ‘I'm with you here and now.’ If every block and estate has voices ringing out, and social media goes nuts with everyone's uploaded videos, that would make every frontline worker realise that we love them for what they're doing.” Singapore’s media industry has teamed up for the effort, namely Mediacorp, So Drama! Entertainment, SPH Radio, mm2 Entertainment, AsiaOne, the Association of Independent Producers (AIPRO), and the Mediacorp Partner Network companies comprising 99.co, Popcorn, theAsianparent, The Walt Disney Company South East Asia and VICE Media. Sing Together Singapore is supported by Gov.sg and Nexus MINDEF. According to Irene Lim, Mediacorp’s chief customer officer: “It is heartening to see so many media industry partners come forward to lead and be involved in this meaningful event that truly unites people from all walks of life across Singapore.” She added: “While we are all physically apart in our respective homes, I hope everyone can come together this Saturday to show the Singapore spirit by joining the singalong.” You can watch the singalong through the following channels: Mediacorp platforms on meWATCH, meLISTEN, TV channels, radio stations and social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. You can also catch it on SPH Radio, Camokakis radio stations, and the Gov.sg Facebook page. The special music video at 10.30pm will be available on Mediacorp platforms on meWATCH, YouTube and TV channels. TO EVERYONE: Sing if you want, clap if you wish, cheer if you can but the best form of support and encouragement we can give to our front liners, is still to stay home, and stay safe. Because this: Ok end of public announcement service. Bye!

Think there have been many cases of people faced with million dollar medical bills. Think it is time to review the need for free healthcare. Would you rather we have high taxes and have free healthcare or have it status quo where healthcare is only for rich in society? http://theindependent.sg/1m-for-hospital-bill-healthcare-or-nightmare/

New Serangoon, Tengah & Kaki Bukit Polyclinics To Ease Heartland Queues By 2025 source: https://mustsharenews.com/polyclinics-singapore/ Up To 12 New Polyclinics In Singapore By 2030 Those who frequent local polyclinics will know that affordable healthcare and medicine often comes with a tiring wait in line to see the doctor. Residents in Serangoon, Kaki Bukit & Tengah can look forward to slight easing to the situation with 3 brand new polyclinics scheduled for launch in 2025, reports The Straits Times on Monday (9 Sep). Here’s what we have gleaned from the details released so far. Do note that as official pictures of the Serangoon, Kaki Bukit & Tengah projects haven’t been released, we’ve included artist impressions of other locations for illustration purposes. Largest polyclinic in Singapore opposite Nex Singapore’s largest polyclinic will be heartland shopping complex Nex‘s new neighbour, easily accessible via train at Serangoon MRT station. The massive clinic is described as an “integrated facility” that will see to the “healthcare needs” of residents in Braddell Heights. 3-in-1 health hub with a Kidney Dialysis Centre Besides regular medical services, the Serangoon polytechnic facility will include the following: Active Ageing Hub Kidney Dialysis Centre Largest Polyclinic in Singapore General medical treatment Childhood immunisation Cancer screening Diagnostic services Hopefully, the polyclinic’s central location will help ease congestion in nearby heartland districts, and offer more convenience for patients who have to make regular trips. Up to 12 more polyclinics on the way by 2030 In the next decade, we can also expect up to 12 new polyclinics to pop up in these districts: North Sembawang Khatib Yew Tee West Bukit Panjang East Eunos Kallang Tampines North The Straits Times confirms that the Ministry of Health (MOH) hopes to hit at least 30 polyclinics across the island by 2030.

A woman in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who was seriously injured in a car crash in 1991 has finally woken up from a 27-year-long coma. Munira Abdulla, then 32, had just picked up her 4-year-old son Omar from school when the car they were in collided with a school bus, reported local daily the National on Monday (Apr 22). While Omar was unharmed, Ms Abdulla, who had tried to protect her son from the impact, was left unconscious with a serious brain injury. Last year, Ms Abdulla, now 60, regained consciousness in a hospital room in Germany. “I never gave up on her because I always had a feeling that one day she will wake up,” said her 32-year-old son Omar Webair in an interview with the National. Ms Abdulla, who was taken to a local hospital after the accident, was later transferred to one in London where doctors diagnosed her to be in a minimally conscious state. She was then returned to the UAE where she was transferred several times due to insurance constraints. In 2017, Ms Abdulla was finally taken to a German hospital after the Crown Prince Court heard the family's story and gave them a grant. There, Ms Abdulla underwent surgery to treat her weakened limb muscles as well as physical therapy. Last June, Ms Abdulla was seen stirring in her bed when an argument broke out in her hospital room. “She was making strange sounds and I kept calling the doctors to examine her,” Mr Webair told the National. “They said everything was normal. “Then, three days later, I woke up to the sound of someone calling my name. “It was her. She was calling my name. I was flying with joy. For years I have dreamt of this moment, and my name was the first word she said.” Ms Abdulla is now receiving treatment in Abu Dhabi, where she is able to communicate “in a very reasonable manner”, said the hospital. “I shared her story to tell people not to lose hope on their loved ones,” Mr Webair said. “Don’t consider them dead when they are in such a state. “All those years, the doctors told me she was a hopeless case and that there was no point of the treatment I was seeking for her, but whenever in doubt I put myself in her place and did whatever I could to improve her condition.” Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/uae-woman-wakes-up-from-27-year-coma-after-car-crash-report-11472950 Miracle story to kick start this morning. In Singapore, this may not even be remotely possible no thanks to expensive healthcare bills. How comprehensive or rather how limited is our life insurance for coma patients? How many of us can afford to keep our loved ones alive for so long, with or without hopes of them even waking up? Then there are other deciding factors... What are the moral implications to deciding when to pull the plug for a coma patient whom is showing minimal signs of consciousness, on life support etc? Who is going to decide quality of life vs quantity of life? When is the right time to pull the plug? Is there ever a right time? Do insurance companies put pressure on hospitals or even doctors? This is a miracle case. It has given hope to families out there to keep the faith and not give up on their loved ones. But food for thought, how many of us would have been able to do the same? At 60 years old, she still has many good years to catch up on lost time with her family.

7,700 Singaporeans received inaccurate CHAS subsidies due to software error: MOH SINGAPORE: An error in the computer system administered by NCS caused about 7,700 individuals to receive inaccurate healthcare and intermediate- and long-term care subsidies, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Saturday (Feb 16). The affected individuals are among those whose applications or renewals of their Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) cards were processed from Sep 18 to Oct 10 last year. The error arose in the computer system when it calculated means-test results. The means-test system calculates the healthcare subsidies which individuals are eligible for, based on their income information. Healthcare subsidies are means-tested so that greater financial support is extended to lower-income households. "The means-test and subsidy tiers for all affected individuals have been corrected by Feb 16, 2019,” MOH said. MOH said no proactive action is required on the part of the affected people at this point. The ministry added that it is working closely with healthcare service providers and scheme administrators to reach out to those affected. “About 1,300 individuals who received lower subsidies will have the difference reimbursed to them. “Another 6,400 individuals received higher subsidies due to the error but will not need to return the additional subsidies disbursed,” MOH added. MOH said that it intends to recover from NCS the costs and expenses incurred as a result of this incident, as allowed for under their contract. The first case of discrepancy in the means-test results of a CHAS cardholder was detected by the CHAS processing team on Sep 24, 2018 and NCS was alerted immediately, MOH said. “The issue was initially attributed to intermittent network connection problems. Five more cases were subsequently detected between Oct 9 and Nov 2, and a more thorough investigation was initiated,” added the health ministry. In late November, NCS traced the root cause of the discrepancies to a software version issue on a server used by the means-test system when it was migrated to another government data centre in September. “This resulted in the means-test results being computed without the requisite income information. NCS further discovered that their deployment team had in fact fixed the software version issue earlier on Oct 10, 2018 in response to an unrelated slow performance issue. “This stopped further cases of errors but it did not correct the means-test results that had been generated from Sep 18, 2018 to Oct 10, 2018,” MOH said. CORRECT SUBSIDY TIERS RESTORED BY FEB 16 MOH said that it worked with NCS from December to establish the extent of the impact, including the correct subsidy tiers for each individual under the different services and schemes. This was to determine who could have received higher or lower subsidies than what they were eligible for. The final assessment was completed on Jan 14 and MOH worked with grant scheme administrators and healthcare institutions to finalise the remedial action plans, including how affected individuals will be informed and reimbursed. The correct subsidy tiers of all affected individuals were restored by Feb 16. Service providers and scheme administrators will now progressively inform the affected individuals and arrange for reimbursements where applicable. “We expect all the affected individuals to be informed by mid-March 2019,” MOH said. MOH said that NCS has acknowledged the error and has taken further remedial action by tightening the system deployment processes. “Additional safeguards have been put in place to prevent any recurrence of such incidents. NCS has reiterated its commitment to being held to the highest standards as a service provider. MOH takes a serious view of the incident, and has worked with NCS on appropriate remedial measures. MOH will work with NCS on measures to prevent such errors in the future,” the ministry stated. Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/7-700-singaporeans-received-inaccurate-chas-subsidies-due-to-11249848

https://www.aic.sg/sites/aicassets/AssetGallery/Forum/Keynote_Prof%20Michael%20Porter.pdf It’s not easy but I really think that is the way forward. Every time I see a specialist I always wonder, do the doctor really want to make me healthy or does he just want to operate on me.... what’s in it for him to keep me healthier as that means I don’t need him and he will be out of work. He needs to pay for all the expensive overheads, u can’t blame him for trying to sell expensive ops. The current volume based healthcare is so fundamentally wrong.

Many doctors and medical professionals here. Any thoughts? This seems to be a hot topic recently. Recently, I went through a procedure and was darn pissed with how much I had to fork out from my own pocket and according to my doctor, my company's appointed TPA is to be blamed. True?

Huat ah! http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1225965/1/.html SINGAPORE: 16,000 public healthcare administrative, ancillary and support staff will see a salary increase of between 4 and 10 per cent from September. This comes after a review of healthcare staff salaries by the Health Ministry and the healthcare clusters. By 2014, 2,000 of these staff can expect a wage increase of between 10 and 20 per cent through a progressive wage model. The model has been developed to help lower wage workers attain sustainable wage increases through productivity, training and job redesign. It will focus on three key groups - health attendants, healthcare assistants and patient service associates. These announcements were made at the the launch of the Healthcare Cluster Tripartite Workgroup, which focuses on raising productivity of the healthcare sector. The tripartite partners comprise the Health Ministry, six public healthcare clusters and NTUC's healthcare clusters of unions. - CNA/xq

Anyone ever done this before? Very costly I understand but just heard that there is another kind called mini dental implants which is cheaper n supposedly just as good. Feedback n comments pls! Thank you in advance n much appreciated!

very very crass. money can't buy class

Turboflat, Radx agree?

this guy real tok kong! [thumbsup]

and we are now 'learning from HK' on the urban planning matter. are we not capable, have we too many undesired flops? or we are well on top of our game? or neither? --- Senior civil servants to discuss population and healthcare issues with Hong Kong counterparts Singapore Permanent Secretaries are in Hong Kong SAR from 5 to 6 November 2012 to discuss population, ageing and healthcare issues. This is the fourth year public sector leaders from the two Civil Services are meeting to exchange views and experiences on issues of mutual interest. Leading the six-member Singapore delegation is Mr Peter Ong, Head of the Singapore Civil Service. The delegation will be hosted by Mr Raymond Wong, Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service and the programme will involve engagements with 11 Hong Kong Permanent Secretaries and other senior officials. During their visit, the Singapore delegation will call on Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Secretary for Administration and Mr Paul Tang, Secretary for the Civil Service. They will also be visiting the City Gallery to learn about Hong Kong

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1194457/1/.html How does it help us? By decreasing PR subsidy and not increasing ours? Happy for what? What a smart move to save money and make more differences between PR and citizens.

Keep up the good work! Don't let us daft Sinkies down

SINGAPORE: The Community Development Councils are getting ready to cope with another economic downturn if it hits Singapore's shores. Ms Tin Pei Ling, MP for Marine Parade GRC, said: "One of the key issues is actually healthcare, especially for the senior citizens. Affordability is probably the top concern that they have reflected to me even at MPS, especially for those with chronic illnesses. The cost involved in having to visit the doctors on a quarterly visit can be a bit hefty and difficult for them to bear." http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1158175/1/.html interesting how after so many months of being a MP she still has yet to get a clue on how things work at our level from her statement i derive that many singaporeans have chronic illnesses!