Let Medisave be used for health screening

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Dec 8, 2007
Let Medisave be used for health screening
I READ with frustration the article, 'S'poreans live longer but suffer 8 years of poor health'' (ST, Dec 3).
Dr Lam Pin Min, a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, called for screening to catch problems such as diabetes and cancer early.
Three years ago, I wrote to the Forum suggesting the use of Medisave for comprehensive health-screening for those aged above 45 who have sufficient funds in their accounts.
The reply from the Health Ministry was that the Medisave scheme is designed primarily to help individuals meet their personal or immediate family's hospitalisation expenses, and that health-screening tests which are considered cost-effective, such as mammography and pap smear, are heavily subsidised at polyclinics.
Is this cheaper health-screening a comprehensive one?
What is the point of having a large amount in the Medisave and not using it for early detection and prevention?
Recently, the Government allowed Medisave to be used for certain outpatient treatments. However, this is not a preventive measure, and is too little, too late.
As not all organisations provide check-ups for staff in their 40s, the Health Ministry should encourage the middle- and lower-income group, who may have difficulties forking out cash, to go for a comprehensive screening annually by allowing the use of Medisave.
Nagarajah Sinnathurai
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_184726.html
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(#1) STTeam (Administrator) Let Medisave be used for health screening - December 08, 2007 Saturday, 01:53 AM
I READ with frustration the article, 'S'poreans live longer but suffer 8 years of poor health'' (ST, Dec 3).
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(#2) December 08, 2007 Saturday, 10:01 AM
heartlander88: You're once again opening another pandora box where your hard-earned savings will be quickly depleted even before you fall sick. Please keep Medisave strictly for hospital expenses.It has already liberalised for many other non-hospital purposes. To allow Medisave for health screening will be another dagger plunged into the heart of our sacred CPF.
There'll be wide-spread abuses of health screening using the Medisave.There is no end to what you want to screen - from head to toe. The doctors will be too happy to screen you as often as they like.The healthcare providers will laugh all the way to the bank once Medisave is released for healthcare screening. This is a bottomless pit of healthcare spending.And when you are finally diagnosed with a disease like cancer, your Medisave is ZERO! And you'll have to pay cash for your massive and costly hospital bills which will be escalating every year.
My motto: live a simple and healthy life-style. live well when you are well. when you are terminally ill and chronically sick, accept your death sentence with graciousness and let go.no need to cling on to end-of-death life which is no life at all. so spend your inheritance and be joyful. Take care.
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(#3) December 08, 2007 Saturday, 10:20 AM
chiabb:
I disagree with heartlander's myopic view and therefore agree with Mr Sinnathurai. Screening should be considered as an integral part of our medical & health system.
How impetuous to assume that "there'll be wide-spread abuses of health screening". And how cynical to say "doctors will be too happy to screen you as often as they like".
Living "a simple and healthy life-style" is only part of the answer. Preventive screening could go along way to avert costly treatment bills in future = a greater drain on Medisave.
A proactive approach to health is wise approach.
A saying trite but true: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." (Also not updated to metric ;D)

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(#4) December 08, 2007 Saturday, 11:01 AM
heartlander88: #3 - agree with chiabb.
i'm not against health screening or preventive medicine. what i'm saying is do not use Medisave to pay for health screening. once this pandora box is opened,there is no end to the abuses.
health screening is quite a tricky thing. how far will you go ? how cost-effective? what are the pick-up rate for certain diseases? you can screen every year for 10 years or 20 years, nothing happen - a clean slate,perfect lab results, everything normal. then you walk out of your doctor's clinic, a very happy man, and then death strikes suddenly. you collapse with a massive heart attack or a massive stroke.
health screening is not the guarantee to longevity or good health.it's so costly and the pick up rate is so dismal and so disappointing.
my philosophy is live a good and happy life when you are well. do a discreet health screening once awhile. use your own cash. keep the Medisave for the more serious hospital treatment and investigations.
simple and health screening does not cost much.why use the Medisave?

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(#5) December 08, 2007 Saturday, 11:33 AM
chiabb:
#4 So we agree in principle, lah. Only not quite agree which fund should pay. That's ok :)
Perhaps I might persuade you to consider that Medisave is exactly the fund for such preventive medical screening, while Medishield is actually designed for serious/chronic illness (?)
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(#6) December 08, 2007 Saturday, 11:35 AM
lobo_respawned:
#5: i think it depends on whether we want to see Singaporeans can think for themselves or not. If yes, then we open it up as an option for people to use. If no, let others continue to micromanage our own money.
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(#7) December 08, 2007 Saturday, 11:36 AM
unewolke:
I agree with the writer. Also there are people who do not work for money for one reason or another.
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(#8) December 08, 2007 Saturday, 11:49 AM
heartlander88:
#5 yes, we do agree in principle.
but i still maintain that medisave should be kept for more serious illnesses in hospital. medisave itself might not be enough.
medishield itself is inadequate to cover hospital treatment. the top up cash can be very painful, even with medisave.
so i maintain that basic health screening for simple basic chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and heart diseases should not use medisave.
but for treatment of such diseases, the government has already approved the use of medisave. yes for treatment and management ( that includes screening and follow-up - but up to $300 a year per account per disease).
so it is rather limited as well.
i know how fast medisave can be depleted because i've a personal experience in the hospital when my mum was admitted to the hospital.my mum has to use my brother's medisave which is also fast depleting - daily!so it's better to maintain a healthy medisave for hospital treatment.
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(#9) December 08, 2007 Saturday, 04:25 PM
reginale:
I agree, we need to be preventive instead of waiting till the last minute ?