Insurance panel poser: What do specialists want?

A limited Singapore Medical Association poll provides some insights. The Ministry of Health (MOH) should conduct a comprehensive survey of specialists, patients and insurers before any changes are made to the MediShield Life Integrated Shield Plans.

Doctors would like to be paid more for their services. Meanwhile, patients would like to have access to the best care, and insurers want to keep the costs in check, since high premiums could drive away customers. However, reconciling these different objectives may not be easy.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Salma Khalik
Senior Health Correspondent
Updated
May 28, 2021, 07:06 AM
Published
May 28, 2021, 05:00 AM
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Two months ago, the Singapore Medical Association (SMA) released a position paper criticising insurers offering MediShield Life Integrated Shield Plans (IPs).

The paper contended that it is unable to support the "highly exclusive panels where many IP insurers only have about 21 per cent of private specialists on each panel".

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MCI (P) 066/10/2023. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2024 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.

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