Lee Hsien Loong broad-brushed the much anticipated financial support for "senior citizens" in three important areas:
- 1) Premium subsidy for MediShield Life;
- 2) Extra subsidies for outpatient treatment at polyclinics, specialist outpatient clinics and general practitioners (GPs) under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS);
- 3) Annual top-ups to Medisave accounts, which can be used to help pay for MediShield Life premiums (needed probably because the "premium subsidy" in (1) won't be enough to offset the voracious hike in insurance premiums).
Playing with words again, Lee insists that the package is not just a subsidy, but a means to help the pioneer generation live better in their old age. By any world standard chronological consideration, age 28 is hardly pioneer generation status, so we worry what are the "extra subsidies" for outpatient treatment. Will they mark up the health care charges, and then tag a "discount" to the inflated rates? That was the accounting trick employed by TT Durai at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) to generate fat profits out of "subsidised" medication for umpteen years.
"No matter how we design the package, it can never fully reflect the contributions our pioneers have made to our nation. But I hope you will accept it as a sincere expression of our gratitude, and that it will be of help to you and your families," Lee said to the 1,000+ "Singaporeans" attending the Pioneer Generation Tribute Party at the Istana on Sunday morning.
We are told the actual details of the Pioneer Generation Package will be formally unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the upcoming Budget. They probably need the extra time to come up with more ingenious definitions of "Singaporeans", "contributions", "nation", "sincere", "gratitude" and "help". What the electorate really need is a dictionary to decipher the coded deceit they are lining their slippery tongues with.
Posts
Health care charges will be high, premium for medishield life will be high. .....
ReplyDeleteRight you are. Semantics again. Why do they always give "subsidies"? Why not lower the prices or fees instead? There is a psychological effect. The recipients will be grateful for the subsidies from a caring government. Besides, with a sleight of hand more will be collected.
ReplyDeleteClassic advice from the marketing department or is it the weasel word advisory group.
Deletequote 'sincere expression of our gratittude' unquote would mean return our due cpf savings in full, any less smack of hypocrisy
Deletequote 'sincere expression of our gratitude' unquote mean return our due cpf saving in full, any less smack of hypocrisy.
DeletePretty obvious the package is meant for those 65 and above with at least 28 years of citizenship...
ReplyDeleteBe prepared for these types:
Delete"After 28 years of residency, I am still trying to understand THESE people!"
Rain rain go away.
DeleteStrategic play leading all the way to 2016...Uniquely Singapore!
ReplyDeleteAfter all the song and dance by Kee Chiu and Ah Loong, this is what happened:
ReplyDeleteA member of the pioneer generation who was invited to attend the Pioneer Generation Tribute Party at the Istana, said “I took the trouble to go there as PM Lee had promised that we could look forward to a ‘little hongbao’ from him as attendees of the pioneer generation invited to the party." He was “disappointed” as he only received “two miserable chocolate gold coins inside the little hongbao”.
I did say to beware of Greeks bearing gifts, what they give with the left hand, they will take away with the right. In the more colourful language of the Teochew Ah Hia, they give you a chicken drumstick, they take away the whole chicken. Anyway, my advice is to take it with both hands, and vote with your feet.
Hi, there i really like your blog! Your stories are so interesting! I would love to get in contact with you. Would you mind writing me an email. tanja.henkelmann@lionandlion.com
ReplyDeletecheers
Tanja
I smell a spam.
DeleteI receive citizenship as soon as I am born here in 1977. Why are people who got citizenship 10 years later than me getting all the benefits?
ReplyDeleteMaybe they are counting on them to vote for the "right" party?
DeleteSome animals are more equal that the others.
Delete"Will they mark up the health care charges, and then tag a "discount" to the inflated rates?"
ReplyDeleteIsn't this exactly what they are doing to prices of our BTO HDB flats ? Someone says he want to sent a petition to HDB CEO to reveal the actual costs of building our HDB flats but it seems they have all steadfastly refused to do so ?
The million dollar question should be WHY they refust to tell us the true cost especially when our leaders insist PAP is voted because of its honesty and transparency, perceived or otherwise ?
They are simply acting like those unscrupulous petrol companies, preferring to offer discounts rather than charging car owners the net petrol or diesel price ?
ReplyDeleteWhy does PAP need to resort to such underhand tactics is really a question beyond comprehension ?
It cannot be true that they are not straight-forward and upright leaders ... right?
Delete:You need to read the package details again. Or you can go f MSM or the PM for wording it in a confusing manner. Only old men/women who fall within the conditions prescribed will get the package not some 28 years old youngster.
ReplyDeleteWhat's worse than giving with the right hand and taking it back with the left. Taking it with the right hand first and then giving back some with the left. Medicalcare cost have risen so much and Medishield premiums have just been increased recently. Then now the G is giving back some by the Pioneer Generation package. Is that giving or is it reducing over-charging?
ReplyDeleteAll these generals led by ah long remind one of prostate cancer patients with prostate surgically removed - either totally limp or shooting blanks after leading their women folks on... are they liars, just flaccid, or impotent?
ReplyDeleteMr money Lui kicked up a MSM storm and excitement promising revamp of the COE system, he delivered a pussy reclassification. Mr Keechiu promised the sky with hong bao for the "pioneers", ended up with 2 melon seeds for the locals and 2 ten cent coins for the FTs.
Is it possible ah loong after doing that operation op on/up his ass never really recover his wisdom nor how to be a real human being...
ReplyDeleteIf anyone goes thru that, they will definitely be a changed person...unsure for the better...
hmm...
A PAPig's brain is located in the vicinity of his arse-hole. So any surgical operation in that vicinity can affect mental faculties.
DeleteThat is why it is imperative to recruit more arse-hole surgeons into PAP.
Yes, how did those who became citizens in 1987 or before get the Package? They might have came to reside in Sin after 1965, the Year Singapore got its Independence. Are they more deserving than those born on Independence Day and before 1949?
ReplyDeletepatriot
Velly chim logik.
DeleteAnother con story cooked up by the admin oppicers:
ReplyDelete1. The so called "hong bao" amounts to nothing if you don't fall sick and visit a garmen hospital; eg if you die straight away from stroke or heart attack, you get zilt. Is that "fair"? For papigs, optics is more important, fairness be damned!
2. So someone born in 1960 served army under the worst conditions of pioneer NS batch, struggled thru all the cock-up policies, would not get the "subsidies", yet an FT who became citizen before 1986 born in the same year, who most probably never served a day of NS, would get the "hong bao"? Excuse me, so papigs are telling you red dotters: "you get to smell my arse if you are FT, otherwise if you have served NS in the worse conditions and slogged thru the shit policies, you locally born dumb asses who voted for the PAP, yes you, you have the privilege to lick my poo!"
NO ONE gets anything when they have stroke or heart attack and die. What do you want hong bao for after you are dead?!! Remember, you are dead!! Why still so greedy, dead and still calculating what you want to get out of the living?! Please look into the mirror.
DeleteIf that is what is literal, from the layman's interpretation, then I think our dear leader is terribly confused
ReplyDeleteHmm, why 1986 ha?
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous2/10/2014 4:34 PM
ReplyDeleteActually hor.
maybe PAP Ministers should be paid the same way.
$1 million dollar salary in the form of subsidies for healthcare.
Instead of cash salary $1 million dollars.
Tattler , you were good . As good as Mr Leong Sze Hiang in spotting this wonderful criteria for new citizens to qualify for the Pioneer Generation Package. Well, maybe our English is not like theirs, so the PM still have wriggle room to deny your interpretation !
ReplyDeleteWhen you own the ball you make the rule. When you own the ball, the pitch and the entire home team you are the rule(r).
ReplyDelete2014 - 1986 = 28 .
ReplyDeleteSo a PR who joined and converted later and have a 28 yrs of citizenship is still more valuable and considered a pioneer than someone who is a a slightly younger (say 60 yo) native who will not qualify? No wonder ours is a silver tsunami because we have imported these high number of older citizens who have held shorter citizenship merits that only add to our aging population.
How many more of these will be added to our population burden in the new PWP?
If the doubt on the number 450,000 is true by Mr Leong Sze Hiang than pap govt using this number as an excuse of collecting higher premium.
ReplyDelete$15B to IMF to help the world, what's the problem to those that contributed to the ability to give the S$15B.
ReplyDeleteJust one healing word. "Free"
Thank you very much