MediShield: Adding Life to Years of All Singaporeans?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sock_min Re: 'MediShield burden: Add no-claims discounts and Remove age limits.' Different compare. Motor car can not Lena (sic) cancer, human can.

Hi 'Sock_min':
The concept of a 'no-claims' bonus is a car-insurance business sustainability model, and yes, there are unique circumstance of 'loss' where human health is concerned.
Here are my thoughts on rectifying this unhealthy situation:

As mentioned, one key problem with medishield is:

Quote:

- [Sharon Peh (Ms)] 'No cover when you need it most' :"It is an anomaly that after paying the required premiums until 84, the insurance suddenly ceases coverage upon one reaching the age of 85, when one would need it most. We pay for MediShield to cover ourselves should we fall sick. The possibility of one falling ill after 85 is higher but ironically, the cover lapses" [ST,Aug 22, 2011]

The gahmen would of course say that to be able to cover the bills of those above 85 yrs old, premiums would have to be raised significantly (either by age group or else across the board)- and as such, the scheme in their theories would as usual 'not be cost effective'.

One reason for the high insurer bill would of course be because of unnecessary medical claims incurred due to 'reckless lifestyles'. (Sorry for the unsympathetic language used).

Reckless lifestyles include:

• Addictions: to cigarettes (get all sorts of diseases from smoking that raises one's medical expenses)/ alcoholism [Wikipedia: 'alcohol misuse'].
• Diabetes/ High blood pressure/ Cholesterol: bad lifestyles- eating too much, exercising too little resulting in high medical bills due the multiple complications of diabetes [Wikipedia: 'DM complications']
• Stress from ill discipline: e.g. loosing all one's money in casinos and then having to play hide-seek games with debt/ tax collectors.
• Sexual Disease/ Reckless living: extreme/ dangerous hobbies: e.g. expressway car/ m'cycle racing, drunk driving accidents, unprotected sex w prostitutes etc.

It can thus be expected that the medical claims by persons whose lifestyles incur high medical bills would make the business of providing MediShield insurance cover unsustainable/ make premiums unaffordable- resulting in even more Singaporeans having to go without adequate health insurance cover- the creation of a permanent underclass in Singapore.

Wikipedia defines 'Insurance' as "a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss." [Wiki: 'Insurance']

The measure of 'risk' is probably well defined by the frequency and onset of claims made as a result of the certainty of "loss" occurring.

Whilst car insurers might even decline to insurer a driver/ owner with a bad past claims record, MediShield being a government run insurance as I understand does NOT have such an option of refusal to insure.

As such, rather then encountering the sad reality of 'No cover when you need it most' :"It is an anomaly that after paying the required premiums until 84, the insurance suddenly ceases coverage upon one reaching the age of 85, when one would need it most." [ST,Aug 22, 2011],

Perhaps some mechanism of rewarding it's the 'good' (responsible) members would improve the viability, sustainability and inclusiveness of MediShield as a national health insurance scheme would be helpful.

Benefits (discounts/ rebates) as such should include:

1. NSmen/others who pass IPPT/ prove fitness of equivalence to that needed to pass IPPT get 40% discount.[link: Mindef: 'IPPT'] ('others' will have to be certified at own cost by MediShield approved physical fitness examiners/ Drs).
2. Non-NSmen/ others who get a annual certificate certifying good health from GP/ medical practitioner (non-smoker, non-alcoholic, chronic disease free) 20% discount (no proof of aerobic fitness needed).
3. Doing/ completing NS (reservist) confers an additional 10% discount ('loyalty to country')/ being claims free entails an additional 10% discount.

The max discount attainable is 50%.

Perhaps with these measures in place,
- MediShield would remain an affordable, viable insurance policy for all Singaporeans.
- The elderly (85yrs/ above) would be able to be included, rather then shamelessly abandoned upon reaching their 85th birthdays as is currently the very sad case it is.

That said, perhaps a chronic disease fund by sponsored by the President's Star Charity [XinMSN, 1Aug2011] can provide some reimbursement for the research and treatment of Childhood/ Congenital illnesses such as '$300,000-a-year therapy gives tot a chance to live' [TNP, 13July2011]
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Ref:
- MOH: 'MediShield' - "MediShield is a low cost catastrophic illness insurance scheme. Introduced in 1990, the government designed MediShield to help members meet medical expenses from major illnesses, which could not be sufficiently covered by their Medisave balance." [MOH> Healthcare Financing> MediShield]

- Leong QH: 'MediShield burden': "I suggest a feature similar to the no-claims discount in motor insurance.
.. I signed up for MediShield when it was launched but .. the Central Provident Fund Board informed me that my insurance cover had expired at the end of March when I reached the age limit of 85 years. .. I had paid thousand of dollars in premiums over the years. It would be better to have no age limit for people under the scheme." [ST, 17Aug2011]

- Sharon Peh (Ms): 'No cover when you need it most' :"It is an anomaly that after paying the required premiums until 84, the insurance suddenly ceases coverage upon one reaching the age of 85, when one would need it most. We pay for MediShield to cover ourselves should we fall sick. The possibility of one falling ill after 85 is higher but ironically, the cover lapses. .. Elderly patients above 85 years will definitely be under greater stress knowing that every cent (if any) they had painstakingly saved over the years may be insufficient to meet hefty hospital bills without the MediShield cover." [ST,Aug 22, 2011].

Rgds
B.C.
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At/ related:
A1forum:
24Aug2011: Re: MediShield burden: 'I suggest a feature similar to the no-claims discount in moto