The main objective of a private insurance company is to make money. In order to maximise their revenue, such companies make higher-risk customers pay more.

However, our national healthcare insurance scheme should do the opposite, because its main objective is to take care of the people - especially those who need such coverage the most - while trying not to suffer a loss in doing so.

Private insurance companies also need to attract buyers to fund their policies.

However, our national insurance scheme should not have such a consideration as it will be mandatory.

Thus, female and older policyholders should not be made to pay more, especially retirees who no longer have an income to afford high premiums (A good scheme, but a few puzzling questions remain; May 28).

Yet, they are the ones who often have to pay the highest premiums, at an age when they are least capable of doing so.

A national insurance scheme is a good way to make the well-off pay for the less fortunate.

I hope CareShield Life could be further improved, as the principles used to attract buyers in the private insurance sector are not relevant in a mandatory national policy.

Wong Boon Hong