We were told that Mean Testing will be done for public hospital. While you can read about all those good things and great measures that will be in place to prevent abuse and make those B2 and C wards better while not being abused.... I wonder, will it just plain and simple raise the cost of healthcare once again or that more people will be write off from using those "subsidised" ward....
Now, while mean testing is all good and dandy.... I feel that it is plain mean. What it does is that, it writes off people, most likely people who are better to do... to use those wards. Now, isn't those people who paid tax which are then being translated into the healthcare budget? Or is it that the healthcare today is now an industry which out of the kindness of its heart, subsidise those wards from the money made from other sources?
If I remember correctly, with exception of the New Changi Hospital, all the hospital were built with public money that are derived from tax and other government income (not surplus) in that case, while it may be morally objectionable for the well-to-do to crowd out the lesser in public health care, taking public money to see if they deserve public subsidies.... seems so wrong.
I will have no qualms if this is done to prevent the casual visitor to our fair shore to the highly "subsidised" place. But think again, for those who are well-heeled, would they actually subject themselves to a less than better treatment when they are ill? even our MM managed to convert a SIA jet to bring his wife back to Singapore for treatment..... would anyone go for the lower standard public healthcare?
I think not.
So, unless it means that the B2 and C ward are actually cheaper after mean testing and are more readily available, the whole exercise would just be another administrative barrier out to take up more public resources and waste our time and money.....
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