Public hospital cost after subsidy more than private hospital?

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/08/16...vate-hospital/

Public hospital cost after subsidy more than private
hospital?


August 16th, 2015 |
Author: Contributions





Public hospital class B1 after subsidy cost more than private
hospital?

According to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) web site – “(there is) subsidy at 20% for class B1″.

According to the Singapore General Hospital’s (SGH) web site – the room rate for standard ward class B1 is from $240.75 per
day.

According to Mount Alvernia Hospital’s web site – the room rate for 4-bedded(equivalent to B1) is $223.63.

So, why and how can it be that the cost in a public hospital (after subsidy)
is higher than that of a private hospital?

Hospitals don’t actually get the subsidies shown in the
bill?

In this connection, I understand that a reason for this may be that the
Government reimburses public hospitals based on the MOH’s average treatment type
subsidy computation.

Yet hospitals are still free to charge higher prices and pass the difference
on to patients.

Instead, the Government should reimburse hospitals for the actual subsidy
shown in medical bills.

Downgrading requests – only 1% successful?

As to “downgrading of ward class will be allowed for patients under
ICU/ICA/HD management, or patients in Class A1 or B1 wards, if they satisfy the
criteria of a Means Test” – why is it that as I understand it – the last time
that a reply was given in Parliament – the success rate of downgrading requests
was only about 1%?

If the interim bill raises the patient’s concerns about his or her ability to
continue to pay the medical fees – why the difficulty in downgrading?

“Forced” to choose B1?

Why is it that patients who are referred from a private clinic (other than
Chas scheme card holders) may not be allowed to choose class C or B2
treatment?

Also, why are patients typically told that they may have to wait for months
for diagnostic tests or treatment, if they choose subsidised treatment (class C
and B2) against treatment in class B1 and A?

Low public healthcare spending?

Why is our public healthcare spending as a percentage of GDP at 1.9 per cent,
amongst the lowest in the world? Why is our public share of healthcare spending
at about one-third – also amongst the lowest in the
world?

Win battles lose
war

* Submitted by TRE reader.


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