Here’s an extract from the audio:
Steven Chia:
This illustration of a brain bypass surgery is available. But in a sponsored Class C ward, the costs can be about S$ 6, 400, right? If it’s an Group A hospital, you’re talking about S$ 40, 000. In secret, that may jump to S$ 83, 000.
Why is there such a great gap? You are aware that everyone needs to make income along the way, but when is that very much?
Crispina Robert:
Why would I choose that upper band if I have very good insurance and ( with ) all the riders and my co-payment is so low?
Christopher Tan:
I’ll just say that between the subsidised wards, the B2 and C in the public hospitals, if you go there, you’ve got to accept that you ca n’t choose your doctors. You’ve got to get somebody that’s assigned to you. I think that’s essential.
Some people favor to pick their doctors. If you want to accomplish that, then you cannot go to B2 and C, but straight away there’s a difference in cost. You may be willing to pay more for the room’s and caregiver’s attention. Not many people in a B2 and C can sleep well these days. You do n’t care about TVs or other things, but you want better care and sleep.
Crispina:
You do n’t want to wait also… Because there’s an element of waiting?
Christopher:
Unfortunately, now, it’s harder to get a single-bed hospital in a public clinics.
Crispina:
This is the exciting thing. More than 70 per cent of us have integrated plans, which means we can walk into a private hospital to get treatment, but we do n’t. A B or an A ward in a public hospital is the less expensive alternative.
Christopher:
Yeah, because there’s also the post-hospitalisation to worry about, right? Because while I’m worried about the one-time pay, if mine is a serious condition and requires follow up treatment for the next 12 months or 24 weeks, the insurance company covers up to 12 weeks, and after that, it’s on you.
Therefore, if you choose to go to a private clinic, the very cheap price may be taken care of by the plan, but what happens after 12 times? What happens after 18 times? Because of that, people might need to visit a public clinics.