Two incidents that were recently in the news highlight the need to consider a new approach to health regulation.

The first involved an Integrated Shield Plan (IP) insurer, Aviva. Aviva was able to unilaterally change the coverage of its IPs without changing its IP terms and conditions. A letter in The Straits Times Forum page asked the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to "educate the public and doctors as to what specific statutes are available that can be used to regulate an IP's scope of coverage" (Educate public on laws regulating IP plans, Oct 1). Thus far, this letter has not drawn any response from the authorities. We are also unaware that such statutes exist.