"Holistic care focus helps Singapore face health care challenges"

Holistic care focus helps Singapore face health care challenges
By Sara Grosse | Posted: 28 March 2012 1208



SINGAPORE: Focusing on holistic care instead of episodic care will help Singapore face heath care challenges like managing the rise of chronic diseases, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said at the "Healthcare in Asia" conference on Wednesday.

He said an outcomes-oriented framework has enabled Singapore to develop a health care system that meets the needs of its population.

Mr Gan said the framework involves integrating care for patients to move seamlessly across health care providers.

"In the past, we focused our financing framework to address the needs of inpatients. This was the right approach for that time - our population was young, and the main financial impact was from hospitalisation," Mr Gan said.

"However, an ageing population requires more frequent care and this care should where possible be delivered in the community instead of acute hospitals."

Singapore's health care infrastructure also includes a financing framework that benefits those in the long-term care sector, as well as evidence-based interventions, such as insurance scheme Medisave for chronic disease management.

"While individual outpatient bills may be smaller compared to hospital bills, their cumulative impact can be substantial," Mr Gan added.

"We have therefore enhanced our financing system such as increasing subsidies for long term care, increased assistance for drug costs for the lower and middle income and enhancing portable subsidies for primary care."

To ensure that health care remains affordable, the government must be judicious in deciding what to subsidise, Mr Gan added.

He said not all new services will be subsidised.

- CNA/wm

[Jon-san]

Alot of fancy words and bombastic words used. Isn't simple english good enough to explain what they are planning to do?

[smellyfish]

Holistic care si simi? Care that makes a hole in your pocket?

[loveikan]

Originally Posted by smellyfish

Holistic care si simi? Care that makes a hole in your pocket?

Thinking the same question when I first come across it

[hkh]

Originally Posted by smellyfish

Holistic care si simi? Care that makes a hole in your pocket?

Small or big hole.....

[dragon888]

is dental care also part of health??? if yes, one will know how much to pay when visiting dentist, be it private or government.....and the best part is can only use CPF money if got surgery......normal treatment pay cash.......

[byfun]

Originally Posted by dragon888

is dental care also part of health??? if yes, one will know how much to pay when visiting dentist, be it private or government.....and the best part is can only use CPF money if got surgery......normal treatment pay cash.......

it shld be deemed as non essential by gov. u wont die from not going to a dentist for regular cleaning of your teeth.

same as medisave cannot be use for see GP at clinic. If u want cheap u go queue at polyclinic.

Gov try to "save" our money in medisave so if we hospitalise we have money to pay. If not later some people with little or no money their hospital bill will end up as bad debts for hospital

[dragon888]

Originally Posted by byfun

it shld be deemed as non essential by gov. u wont die from not going to a dentist for regular cleaning of your teeth.

same as medisave cannot be use for see GP at clinic. If u want cheap u go queue at polyclinic.

Gov try to "save" our money in medisave so if we hospitalise we have money to pay. If not later some people with little or no money their hospital bill will end up as bad debts for hospital

so if aging population lose all teeth and need to have dentures which can cost few hundred, is this consider as essential or non-essential???

[hkh]

IMO.....whatever that can feed the stomach should be considered essential.....like even plain porridge......

[dave6238]

Originally Posted by smellyfish

Holistic care si simi? Care that makes a hole in your pocket?

hanor hanor.... his holistic care means must make money lah...... money is holy to them...... cos they oni work for the money, not for the people.....

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