Quote:
Originally Posted by Gut Shot
I agree that Singapore is the most consumer-driven system in the world, but you're underestimating the role of government a bit too much. You say they "don't provide much in the way of healthcare," but 80% of acute care is administered through public hospitals with government-imposed price caps.
In addition to Medisave (the HSA you mention above), their government also administers Medishield (catastrophic insurance), Medifund (for the poor), Eldershield (self explanatory), and it subsidizes disability and pharmaceuticals.
Their system is, as they say, both to the right and left of our own.
|
Medishield is a capped catastrophic insurance plan which you can buy from the government, but which competes with private catastrophic insurance plans. Medifund and Eldershield disperse a small payment to the individual who then use that money to pay for their health care and, in the case of Eldershield, their cost of living. This is unlike our systems of Medicaid and Medicare that pay providers directly. Basically its the difference between school vouchers and public schools. Acute care may be managed largely through Public hospitals, but long term management of chronic conditions is still largely privatized (unlike Europe). That doesn't seem to be to the left of us in any way.
I'm not saying its a government or regulation free system, but I think its a lot closer to American ideals than the European system. Also it's just as effective as the European system while being way cheaper. If we can't accept a system of government free healthcare, it seems like the next best alternative.