A contract is a legally-enforceable promise or set of promises made by one party to another. The most important feature of a contract is that one party makes an offer for a consideration that another accepts. The promise or consideration should not change while the contractual obligation is alive, without mutual assent.
Premiums for Medishield have just been hiked, ostensibly to widen coverage and provide a "bigger shield" against bid medical bills. Some of these "enhancements" include yearly-limit of $70,000 instead of $50,000, life-time limit of $300,000 instead of $200,000 and coverage for inpatient psychiatric treatment.
Have they considered that some of us may feel $50,000 or $200,000 limit is more than sufficient for our needs, thank you, and that we may have private plans to cover any shortfall? Or that we are in perfect mental state, always on the alert to stay away from doctors like Dr Fones who may put out an unsolicited letter on the sly to commit us to the tender loving care of the Institute of Mental Health? Can we opt out of this "inclusive" intentions of the Minister? Especially the part where deductibles, the amount patients have to pay out of pocket before they can even start on the bureaucratic red tape to make a claim, are raised by $500 to "keep premiums affordable". If MP Chia Shi-Lu, member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, thinks it's logical to be hit a with a premium hike and still suffer a $500 loss in deductibles, he should make an appointment with the IMH. One's intention can either be good or bad, not both.
One of the reasons not to sign up for CPF Life is that quantum of payouts are not fixed at time of commitment. When you puchase an annuity from a private insurer, the vendor at least provides you with a number - could be a range of say, between 2 to 5% - with which you can do your own math about personal financial needs. With CPF Life the official position is: "the monthly income may be adjusted depending on the actual interest rate". With Medishield it's more ludicrous, we have signed up, and they are changing the goal posts. Is this even legal?
Posts
Same as CPF. They keep shifting the goal post. Some one, maybe M Ravi, should challenge whether this is constitutional.
ReplyDeleteAt the current rate, medishield is already generating surplus of about $113 million every year between 2008 and 2011. Ostensibly, the milking of hardworking and honest Singaporeans continues unbated. No wonder psychiatric treatment is catered for in the revised plan. It seems MOH is already predicting more and more people will be driven mad. *Thumb down*
ReplyDeleteIt is ashame to increase costs of basic services by self justification. Even though Medishield may not make money (in this case they did), government should come in and assist. Loading on poor Singaporeans is not morally right after they have contributed so much in the past. Rememeber no one really would like to see doctor or be admitted to hospitals unless really sick.
ReplyDeleteUnder the guise of providing for wider coverage and higher payouts, they slipped in a hike of the premiums. To me that sucks, because if those who are in need of the additional cover, they can opt in for it.
ReplyDeleteTo those with kids who are born with congenital issues, they should be granted cover. From the current no cover, they are now included, thereby causing the overall rise in premium. Trust the government to look into the problems and come out with a money making policy change.
How about those patients who are diagnosed with pre-existing illness ? Will they be included into the new inclusive cover?.
More money for civil service to splurge on expensive chairs and bromptoms. More year end bonus for them. No shame.
ReplyDeleteLike the saying goes,
ReplyDelete"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
A person begins with good thoughts, promising to themselves to do the right thing, however, priorities in life change, time becomes a limiting factor, and alas, the good intentions go astray.
When judging intentions, people are more likely to interpret good intentions for their own actions than they are for those of others.
Stephen Garrard Post, writing about altruism, suggests that good intentions are often not what they seem and that mankind normally acts from less worthy, selfish motives — "If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, it is partly because that is the road they generally start out on."
That's what one cheating wife said,
"I was only sleeping with my husband's boss to advance his career."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_road_to_hell_is_paved_with_good_intentions
Finally my sincere prayer for Singapore and true blue Singaporeans,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R37DsDj8OSQ&feature=results_main
fish "n" chips
Government is here to SERVE the people and not sucking every drop of money from them. Basic things like education, healthcare must be of high priority, not defence under no war, no threat situation. Ministers can have their fat pay as long as they do not deprive essential services to deserving citizens at a reasonable cost.
ReplyDeleteSingapore Fairy Tales or
DeleteLimpeh kali kong;
"Government is here to SERVE the people ..."
ha ha.
You kidding right?
That ship has sailed a long time ago.
How about;
Limpeh kali kong;
"Government subsidies mean you pay less than the cost"
Singapore Fairy Tales
Deletealso known as grandfather's story ....
To respond to your question, I am afraid to tell you that it is legal in Singapore if the government said so. Otherwise they would not have done it.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right. It was legal to gas 6 million Jews because the government of the day said so.
Delete“Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.”
DeleteMartin Luther King, Jr.
http://thinkexist.com/quotation/never_forget_that_everything_hitler_did_in/216654.html
In Germany Before and during WWII of course
DeletePhase 1: Hitler becomes Chancelor of Germany
Phase 2: Hitler gets himself made into essentially a dictator
Phase 3: As dictator, he gets to make the laws
Phase 4: anyone who opposes him ends up dead
Outside of Germany:
Not legal. Look up the Nuremberg Trials. Lots of the people responsible for the atrocities were executed or sent to prison. Hitler would have been but he killed himself.
"Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal."
DeleteSimple: Do not forget that everything Hitler did during World War II was not against the law.
What it means: Just because something is the law does not mean that it is right.
You are always right as long as you are in power and capable of putting anyone to jail. Don't you know ?
DeleteIt is very difficult to name just one ruler who can be respected for doing just one right deed in his/her duty.
ReplyDeleteIs there any worth mentioning and for doing what?
patriot
Another blatant case of NOT consulting the public, not getting any feedback and just implementing it "with best intentions".
ReplyDeleteI am just fed up with this govt that tries to give us a one-size fits all policy and expect everyone to fall in line and follow their bitter medicine.
Surely someone has got to pay for the costs of our Ministers' heart surgeries minus S$8 deductible per surgery, no ?
ReplyDeleteIt's got to be either you or me not our Govt, otherwise it will be regarded as another raid on our reserves ?
"Another blatant case of NOT consulting the public, not getting any feedback and just implementing it "with best intentions". "
ReplyDeleteOf course they don't consult because it is easy money for them. Just pass it as a law, and voila,suddenly
they have extra millions every month ... easy money...
as usual of PAP, their reason is bullshitting. It is akin asking you to buy a heavily markup toyota lexus if all you need is just affordable cheap car for transport , and they pass it as law that you have to get lexus if you need a car. Get it ?
to continue,
so if there is 3millions paying $5 every month due to the hike.
they have $15 millions for free into the govt coffers every month...
They are just thinking of how to make more money so that they can get better bonus. It is STUPID to increase both the premium and the deductible.
ReplyDeleteVote PAP out in 2016 and revamp the health care. It is unaffordable to the average Singaporean.
We work all night, we work all day, to pay the bills pappy
ReplyDeletehave me pay
Ain't it sad
And still there never seems to be a single penny
left for me
That's too bad
In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a caring pm
I wouldn't have to scrape the floor, I'd turn around and sing for all...
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world