[Poor Health] Karma strikes ex-Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan hard.

[Poor Health] Karma strikes ex-Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan hard.

He is a very money faced person and cares not for the poor.

As health minister, he turned healthcare in Singapore into a business as evidenced by his words:

“In three specialties alone, heart, eye and cancer, I see tens of millions of middle-class patients within a 7-hour flying radius, waiting to be served. If they can be attracted here, they will keep us all very busy." Khaw Boon Wan, October 2003.
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/20...w-exhorts-yeo-with-may-the-force-be-with-you/

Instead of increase GST, what other more progressive wealth tax options (e.g. Replacement for Inheritance taxes) can be considered?

Instead of increase GST, what other more progressive wealth tax options (e.g. Replacement for Inheritance taxes) can be considered?

E.g. More progressive property taxes so that for annual value above $20k onwards until $300,000, maybe the top tier annual value of property can be taxed at 60% of annual value?

Medishield-life should not be a loophole for the rich to rob the poor.

Only fair that PAP gahmen compensate all BASIC medishield-life premiums by 60%; Integrated Medishield-life RIDERS are Antithetical to concept of Pre-funding.

The concept of any form of insurance is about insuring against the unpreventable and the catastrophic: i.e. the damage must NOT be self inflicted due to negligence like the lack of exercise resulting in a low muscle mass and accordingly a low basal metabolic rate resulting in high body fat % (meaning that all fat cells are already so saturated with fat that they cannot accommodate any more energy absorption in the form of glucose): resulting in insulin resistance and high blood glucose: aka T2 Diabetes Mellitus. The purpose of the insurance deductible and copayment are thus blunt/ minimal forms of controls upon the abuse of these restrictions/ liabilities that ALL members of the national healthcare insurance scheme must adhere to without exception (just like national service (NS) or obeying laws and rules such as returning one's library books before their due date arrives).

Partnering Bike rental companies in War Against Diabetes and MRT train breakdowns.

Tax bike rental companies $30/bike/annum to operate due to the fact that they incur public infrastructure costs for provision of dockless public rental bike parking bays and more frequently require PUB and police assistance etc for theft, flooding etc when the public, annoyed by them cause obstruction by dumping them in canals resulting in PUB anti-flood operations and canal maintenance costs.

Diabetes can easily BANKRUPT Singapore in under 12years.

Total reserves of Singapore (may include personal CPF funds being invested vz GIC and Temasek, incl foreign reserves (see 'PS' explaination below))= SGD363 + SGD275 + USD100 = SGD 363+275+134 = SGD772 billion (1USD=1.34SGD).

Total costs of diapers, medical specialists appointments, dialysis, milk for tube feeding, 24/7 nursing care to wash and tube feed, baby sit +/- entertain the elderly who are handicapped because of irresponsible sedentary lifestyles resulting in diabetes = SGD66 billion p.a. ('Elderly health costs to rise tenfold by 2030: Report').

SAF should not be the Achilles heel in anti-DIABETES war

More research into relationship between IPPT score vs onset of diabetes mellitus needs to be done with massive SAF repository of pre-enlistment medical screening results, pre-IPPT FFI, FFI for regular servicemen, family history and smoking/ drinking habit data and not least, annual IPPT results for BOTH NSmen and ESPECIALLY regular servicemen vs their future medical outcomes: e.g. years since best IPPT result till onset of diabetes mellitus , healthcare subsidy consumption vs latest valid IPPT result.

Singaporeans just LOVE the 'privilege' of SERVING NS so much... they actually want more.

[Letter to Today] NS a duty, not a job — thus no ‘salary’: Mindef

Medishield-life needs to do much more to preserve health than just pass hat around to raise fund$$$$.

People who can prove that they are healthy (get up from sitting position on floor without using hands to assist, get pass, silver/ gold for IPPT/ swimming/ cycling test etc) or are compliant with polyclinic drs advice to stop smoking, exercise (join foc HPB/ sportshub zumba/ Pilate's/ fit-stepper classes) etc or have good lab test results @ polyclinic (BMI, bp, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol levels, ECG etc) should be given a gradated Medishield life discount (just like NSmen get $500 p.a. for getting gold award @ IPPT)... ostensibly, fitter NSmen can better out-think/ outwit the enemy... but physical weakness is every healthcare ministry's (e.g. MOH) nemesis since physically weak old folks are most likely to end up bed-bound in hospital for chronic disease/ broken bones and need nursing care for everything from spoon/ tube feeding to changing of diapers and perhaps even pain relief. A study on consistently good IPPT result + pre-IPPT (35yrs onwards) medical checkup result achievers in reservist vs their healthcare cost in later years dating back to 1965 SAF enlistees can be studied to measure the value of consistently good physical fitness till ORD from NS @ age 50 (/older for regular SAF servicemen/ generals) to assess the value of physical fitness amongst Singaporeans towards the national reduction of tertiary healthcare consumption and costs (and by extension, the value of 'carrots' necessary to encourage such healthy/ fitness lifestyle adoption)

Incentivising physical fitness amongst Singaporeans is urgently necessary since the Singapore workforce is quickly aging and rather than have more citizens become even more dependent on foreign nurses and maids to care for disabled young Singaporean diabetics (stroke, amputations, blindness, heart problems, dementia, kidney dialysis) , investment in physical fitness would probably go a long way to keeping the Singapore workforce able and strong.

IC re-registration, rats, medals and chairs: The daily frustrations of Singaporeans these days.

Why must people PAY to re-register their ICs under threat of $5000fine+5yrs jail, given the fact that IC registration is a national security concern and that people already suffer sky high cost of living in Singapore due to both GST as well as sky high foreign worker levies (up to $1000/mth) that employers pay on their foreign manual labour which just adds to our supermarket bills.

Yet the PAP spends lavishly on its sock-puppets, cronies and other unsavories.
For example:
a) Smokers are given a waiver of the usual 70% loading on insurance premiums contracted vz private health insurance companies: yet SG gahmen compulsory healthcare insurance schememedishield-life does not load smokers with any market rt based rise in premiums: i.e. an implicit subsidy to put more money into the tobacco industry (do some PAP leaders own shares of tobacco companies???). 

Overpaid? Singapore court judges very idle, listen to boliao* issues to kill time?....

As I understand, before any case can be allotted court time, the court registra will examine the complexity/validity of the case before scheduling an amount of court time before well paid judges to hear out a case.

In the b/m case of 'Ng Huat Seng and another v Munib Mohammad Madni and another', I cannot understand why the court would even have to focus on the issue of vicarious liability if the said contractor who damaged a neighbour's building was insured and would agree to compensate for the damages. Instead of focusing on whether Mr Munib Md was vicariously liable, wouldn't justice be more economically achieved if the courts focused upon placing an injunction on continuing any further damaging works and compelling the rectifications/ immediate compensation of damages caused to neighbouring buildings, especially if the contractor is not only solvent but also insured?
Shouldn't the issue of vicarious liability only arise if the contractor is either bankrupt or disputes the damages caused?
Perhaps the issue of vicarious liability would NOT EVEN HAVE OCCURRED if Singapore court judges (instead of dawdling on ivory-tower type superfluous issues), had heard the case at short notice an issued immediate stop work order injunctions so that the damages would not have grown so immense and severe at first instance.
It seems to me that Singapore judges have a lot of free time to kill (just churning out work for themselves) and thus perhaps, the Minister of Finance might consider REDUCING the funding to the Judiciary for the coming work year.

Medishield-life licenses smokers to smoke EVEN MORE than ever before.

As I understand, where critical illness insurance is concerned, smokers have to pay premiums upwards of 50% loading. With the appended website stating: "At age 20, the percentage difference is 50%, while at age 65, the percentage difference increases to 71%."

Premiums for prudential's 'Early Crisis Cover Provider' which can be found @http://s1123.photobucket.com/user/PR...arges.png.html and seems to follow the same loading trend thereabout.

However, for medishield-life (compulsory health insurance scheme), there is zero loading for smokers. Indeed, there is zero incentive awarded to Singaporeans who strive to keep healthy and fit, suffice to say, those with pre-existing disease not already covered by medishield are charged an extra 30% in premiums for the first 10 years. (30% is only half of the market rate loading for a currently 'healthy' smoker of 50-71% btw).

Singapore: Medishield-life= terminal life support for a BANKRUPT healthcare system?

Singapore: Medishield-life= terminal life support for a BANKRUPT healthcare system?

As admitted by Health Minister Gan Kim Yong: “If you look around, our investments in health promotion and diseases prevention, I think... it is actually significantly lower than the amount of money we spend on treating diseases... ... .. We need to take a holistic approach towards health promotion, taking into account how can we empower consumers so that they make the right choice” ['Empower consumers with holistic approach to healthcare: Gan Kim Yong', TODAY, 11 Feb,2015]

The consequence of lifestyle/ preventive healthcare lapse: dire statistics:
- "Singapore has the second-highest proportion of diabetics among developed nations, a new report by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) revealed...10.53 per cent of people in Singapore...Only the United States fared worse..."['Singapore 'has 2nd-highest proportion of diabetics''; ST, 2nd Dec2015]

LTA gives S$15,450,617 COE hongbao bonanza to rich elite this CNY.

If this amount squandered on the rich were to be multiplied by 24 COE bidding exercises per annum, I estimate that the PAP gahmen would have easily 'squandered' S$370,814,808 p.a. in all. Instead of spending 2 precious hours squabbling over 1 petty NCMP seat, ought not parliament discuss how the catB COE pricing system should be tweaked so that gahmen revenue will not be spilled/ lost?

SLA lassitude costs SG gahmen $1,362,664 in 8 mths rental revenues lost, eateries disrupted and public safety risk nightmare.

The lazy folks @SLA should have their bonuses CUT.
Full report 'Tenants upset over Evans Rd shambles' as appended below.

As I understand, it is standard practise for all landlords to collect 1 month rent asdeposit for each year in rental contract signed: e.g. for a 3 yr rental contract, 3 mths deposit is payable, 10mths for 10yrs and so forth.

'the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) terminated its tenancy agreement with master tenant Winsta Holding on July 31': the day of termination should have been THE SAME DAY that the plot was put up for re-tender, but no, the retender was delayed till Nov30th, a cool 4 months of nothing done, rent collections wasted. Now SLA is saying that the new tenancy will start on Aprils fools day (1st April) 2016, very funny SLA, that is another 4mths proper rent forgone between 1st Dec 2015 and 1st April 2016. I believe that if the SLA (and other gahmen depts) had its finger on the pulse of what was happening @ Evans Rd, " several employees were involved in 'undisclosed interested party transactions'", it would have been more prepared with the re-tender process rather than delaying the process by an additional 4 months.

Medishield-life premiums: PRs should pay AT LEAST 30% more. Why shouldn't they???!!!

Since gahmen defines medishield life as so integral and like God send (costs gahmen a lot in budget), then since PRs are at best only half citizens (or less since they can be PRs of elsewhere as well): then why shouldn't they pay an extra of 30% in annual medishield-life premiums???!!! In fact, at polyclinics, PRs have to pay almost TWICE the consultation fees as Singaporeans. Those previously NOT on medishield but now joining medishield life will also have to pay a 30% surcharge so why shouldn't PRs previously on medishield insurance scheme ALSO be charged just an extra 30%???!!!

For the sake of world peace, Greece should ASAP quit EuroZone.. So that it can CEASE to be a money laundering agent (subsidiary) of the European Central Bank.

"And for every euro in bailout funds, the Greek government receives less than 20 per cent. The rest goes to bankers and bondholders." ['Time for a broader view on what threatens Europe's future']

I always knew that the Eurozone was in a very sick situation, but I didn't know about the degree of $ laundering until I read that "... for every euro in bailout funds, the Greek government receives less than 20 per cent. The rest goes to bankers and bondholders.": which just proves that most of the eurozone GDP is from euro currency stimulus policies and not real productivity in output: e.g. business/ infrastructure investments which do not necessarily benefit society (spear headed by greedy bankers + political elites) and only making the eurozone area inequality divide wider which makes it a culture pot for terrorist ideology that is fed by wealth/ social inequality.

How Exercise trumps Medishield-life as key to good life.

Changi General Hospital started housing patients waiting for beds in this large air-conditioned tent this week. The 800-bed CGH, along with Tan Tock Seng and Khoo Teck Puat hospitals, has resorted to sending patients to Alexandra, one of the few public hospitals here with spare beds. Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said last night that he was aware of the problem - hence, the push to add 1,900 more acute hospital beds and 2,600 community hospital beds by 2020. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO - See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking...steps-20140108


- exercise will not drain your medisave unlike Medishield-life life and if everyone keeps fit, then waiting along corridors/ under tent for a proper hospital ward bed will never happen (except in case of disaster/ war).

Like private insurers, Medishield-life should also give freebies and discounts to encourage citizens to keep fit....

"Those who pass all four health markers — Body Mass Index, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and cholesterol — and are currently insured under NTUC Income’s IncomeShield or Enhanced IncomeShield will receive a S$50 CapitaMall shopping voucher each year that they take the test. Singaporeans who are not yet insured with NTUC Income will receive a S$50 discount off their first year premiums if they decide to sign up for Enhanced IncomeShield."[Rewards await healthy NTUC Income clients (TDY, 28May2015)]

For one thing, I believe that medishield-life premiums are probably going to increase exponentially no matter how much 'prefunding' premised deductions are made from individual CPF medisave accounts if there is no policy effort at promoting/ rewarding healthy lifestyle adoption amongst (compulsory) insurance policy holders.

Medishield-life: A Missed Opportunity to Shape Unhealthy/Kiasu Singaporeans up.

Oki, sorry to have now made a majority of Singaporean readers UPSET by reminding them of their Kiasuism flaw, but folks, isn't seeing many kiasu Singaporeans join a queue EVEN WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE THE QUEUE LEADS TO: quite a frequent sight? (Visit to casino/TOTO, Hello Kitty toys from McDonalds, Korean Boy band at Airport, Gold certificate/ Land-banking ponzi schemes, tution classes sufficient to make any kid go berserk?)[reference: Top 10 Things Singaporeans Will Willingly Queue For | scene.sg].

Amongst all this queueing for what is deemed 'ideal', isn't personal health an important asset too?: both for country and self (as in the context of medishield-life: Singapore's planned compulsory national health insurance plan whereby those who fail to pay premiums could well find themselves in jail (even after paying up hefty fines)): falling sick early could well raise premiums for all: so shouldn't medishield-life incentivise healthy lifestyles: not least disincentivise smoking/ unhealthy lifestyles/ the avoidance of health check-ups (as is the current situation) so as to keep overall premiums/ health care costs low.

Proof that Medishield-life is squandering public money, sponsoring people to spend/consume way beyond their means:

Firstly, if stay HDB and low income automatically = poor? Haha, Minister must be a joker/fool. What about those either holding foreign PR or even Singaporeans secretly holding foreign citizenship (illegal I know: they just didn't declare to anyone) and either (i) deceptively use poor relative's house as residence address, (ii) sold their pte property at property mkt peak and bought 2-rm HDB as single to use as chalet for the rare occasion of stopover to check out property mkt (can sell the 2-rm open mkt at profit after 5 yrs kept empty for a profit; they stay in luxurious mansion in their newfound country of residence (planning to return to SG for medical treatment to exploit medishield life A class IP benefits to the max if need be (max GST credits after fooling the stoopid SG gahmen into believing the deceit: whoopee!!!))).
PS: a single/ childless couple staying in a smaller unit has a better quality of life compared to some large multigenerational families staying in larger sized units but too small relative to occupant residing there.