Use of Medisave for expensive procedures

oxford mushroom SG

There were a number of letters to the Straits Times about extending the use of Medisave for expensive procedures like a PET scan.

The MOH spokesman reply was "..With regard to the specific request to use Medisave for PET Scan, the Ministry of Health would also like to clarify that expensive treatment does not equate better treatment..."

It is sad that the person replying is not even a doctor. The PET scan in question is often needed to help doctors assess if a chemotherapeutic regime is having the desired effect. The PET scan would be able to tell oncologists if it is safe to reduce the course of chemotherapy, which as we know, has very serious side effects. Without it, doctors will have to give further unnecessary treatment that may well kill the patient. Procedures like PET scan and many drugs which have been shown scientifically to be valuable are not available to most Singaporeans mainly because they are expensive.

MOH keeps harping on this line: " Hence there is a need to guard against over-servicing of subsidised patients by doctors, and treatment decisions should be based on medical need and peer-review by specialists. "

But in truth, hospitals are expanding services in cosmetic surgery to the well-heeled whilst cancer patients are denied treatment that can improve lifespan by months to years because they are not 'cost-effective' and not a 'cure'.

av98m SG

The government hopes that we will all die quickly so that they can cling on to our medisave and medishield funds. Yes I know its all “transferred” to next of kin. But as long as it remains unused the government keeps it.

oxford mushroom SG

You know you are right....a healthy lifestyle does not save the nation money in healthcare costs. People just live longer to die of expensive diseases like cancer and chronic illness that require long-term care like strokes. In fact, it is cheaper if people adopt very unhealthy lifestyle and die of heart attacks quickly.