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GP fees become so expensive?


Cook123
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That's a very sweeping statement.

 

Like i said before, just imagine your average singaporean. Your doctor is no different.

 

Despite my above posts about overcharging, I don't blame the doctors - they are just charging and earning what they can (this is after all capitalistic society).

 

We still have a choice to visit policlinics where the fees are subsidized and more controlled. However, the government can help in the following ways:

 

1. Longer hours for policlinics - the current opening hours do not allow a patient to visit the clinic after work. There can be a nominal fee for overtime to compensate and prevent abuse.

 

2. Review the quota of doctors - Doctors are artificially protected due to medical school quotas set by our universities. Do we really need only the best and most competent people as doctors when most GPs only handle simple cases? If we have a lesser degree for people to practice as GPs, this could introduce competition into the system and lower prices. I have to be honest here - I am not medically trained but I think I (and many others I know) could be a competent GP 99% of the time.

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My Co, got Co-pay plan and I pay only $5 for every visit to their listed GPs.

But the Medicine the doctor gives is like $5 for only 3 days prescription.

I guess the Insurer gives them low rate as well.

For Clinics that are owned by holding group, I won't visit, you are pay for the doctors' and his company directors' salaries.

Hate this kind business.

Gone are the days of Wong Fei Hong..

You copay $5 sounds like Raffle medical. my co also use them..

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Most corporate claims must put down diagnosis and medications prescribed. If company not doing their own due dilligence, then it's their own pasar.

At the high levels, it is a decent business for the managed healthcare providers or the big chains (only about 4 to maybe 5 are of that size to sign their own contracts for more than a few companies)

At the lower end, the managed healthcare providers usually shortchange the individual clinics. So hence your 1st scenario.

 

It's like outsourcing IT to another company. No different bah...

 

Don't get me wrong - it IS the company's responsibility to ensure that they have a procedure in place to check on what they are billed for and in the situation I put forth to you, it is indeed the company's fault for not having such a procedure but the clinics cannot be completely absolved for taking advantage of the situation. I was just a low level employee and while I highlighted the situation, I don't know if it was subsequently resolved as I left shortly after. (Note that the yearly bills were up to 2-3 mil SGD for this company - the bulk of it is from hospital bills)

 

What we're doing here is discussing how GP fees can be inflated and the reasons for it. We're not trying to put 100% of the blame on GPs and doctors like yourself.

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You copay $5 sounds like Raffle medical. my co also use them..

 

No lah. Quite a few corporate plans have a $5 copayment. Usually the lower end ones.

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Actually I hope there are many good hearted ones out there but from my experience with my kid's medical condition last 2 years, I find all the private specialists I came in contact with, are all very knowledgeable to get big money from going around the system. After this eye opener, its all about money.

The good ones mostly will fly to 3rd world countries giving free medical..

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Don't get me wrong - it IS the company's responsibility to ensure that they have a procedure in place to check on what they are billed for and in the situation I put forth to you, it is indeed the company's fault for not having such a procedure but the clinics cannot be completely absolved for taking advantage of the situation. I was just a low level employee and while I highlighted the situation, I don't know if it was subsequently resolved as I left shortly after. (Note that the yearly bills were up to 2-3 mil SGD for this company - the bulk of it is from hospital bills)

 

What we're doing here is discussing how GP fees can be inflated and the reasons for it. We're not trying to put 100% of the blame on GPs and doctors like yourself.

 

I understand. But i dunno how much time/money the HR dept of the company saves. For the MNCs they must save quite a bit bah.

Anyway i only see the normal type of corporate patients. What goes upstairs (not my company anyway), i dunno also.

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Turbocharged

I would say Dr also pai tan lar.

 

Some patients prefer name-brand, some prefer cheaper generics. Like go shopping like that, you wan to buy branded or house-brand. If only can request for meds in a similar manner.

 

Then some patients also prefer 1 visit gao tim, eat alot nvm. So give them less will complain or they juz dr hop and blacklist u; While the other grp if give them more, then kenna scold over-prescribe, black heart, wan to earn only.

 

disclaimer: am not dr or related to medical profession.

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I understand. But i dunno how much time/money the HR dept of the company saves. For the MNCs they must save quite a bit bah.

Anyway i only see the normal type of corporate patients. What goes upstairs (not my company anyway), i dunno also.

 

I can't say exactly how much time/money is saved but I can say for sure that it is not even 20% of what they are being "overcharged".

 

What to do - people are lazy and most people just try to take the easiest way out since it isn't their money anyway. HR department will certainly not get any praises from the top management for lowering the cost so they don't care.

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Ok my queue is building up, lol need to stop posting and reading.

Now I understand why waiting time is so long... Last time got appointment at SGH with specialist, always get to see him after 45 mins fro the appointed time. Must ban mcf from hospital..

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I would say Dr also pai tan lar.

 

Some patients prefer name-brand, some prefer cheaper generics. Like go shopping like that, you wan to buy branded or house-brand. If only can request for meds in a similar manner.

 

Then some patients also prefer 1 visit gao tim, eat alot nvm. So give them less will complain or they juz dr hop and blacklist u; While the other grp if give them more, then kenna scold over-prescribe, black heart, wan to earn only.

 

disclaimer: am not dr or related to medical profession.

 

Haha spot on. [thumbsup]

 

Forumers always assume that they are the only personality types out there. When they actually are a minority representation of what people actually think/do/act.

 

It's actually a bias. I'm smart and logical, hence everyone must think like i do.

In reality, life is not as such [laugh]

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I would say Dr also pai tan lar.

 

Some patients prefer name-brand, some prefer cheaper generics. Like go shopping like that, you wan to buy branded or house-brand. If only can request for meds in a similar manner.

 

Then some patients also prefer 1 visit gao tim, eat alot nvm. So give them less will complain or they juz dr hop and blacklist u; While the other grp if give them more, then kenna scold over-prescribe, black heart, wan to earn only.

 

disclaimer: am not dr or related to medical profession.

if u roughly know what u need, ask not 2b prescribed the other "less necessary" medications - that should cut down some costs.

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There is a clinic in Punggol near the Ang Mo Supermarket (Blk 600+)

 

Before the clinic open, already long quee of more than 10 patients.

 

Good business...

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I would say Dr also pai tan lar.

 

Some patients prefer name-brand, some prefer cheaper generics. Like go shopping like that, you wan to buy branded or house-brand. If only can request for meds in a similar manner.

 

Then some patients also prefer 1 visit gao tim, eat alot nvm. So give them less will complain or they juz dr hop and blacklist u; While the other grp if give them more, then kenna scold over-prescribe, black heart, wan to earn only.

 

disclaimer: am not dr or related to medical profession.

 

 

i like the tcm doctor reply whenever people ask if can one time gao tim “你以为是仙丹 meh!" [laugh][laugh]

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i like the tcm doctor reply whenever people ask if can one time gao tim “你以为是仙丹 meh!" [laugh][laugh]

 

If a western doctor said that to the patient, he will more likely to get complaint.

Hard truth.

 

Some TCM practitioners can literally get away with murder.

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Turbocharged

But this is the instant gratification culture we are in lor, everything also muz be now and immediate. Tough it out a few days also cannot.

 

Then some dr hop till they found the "miracle doc" without realizing that all it took was the time taken to dr hop for the previous med to take effect/body to fight out the bug, and not some miracle med to begin with.

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My Co, got Co-pay plan and I pay only $5 for every visit to their listed GPs.

But the Medicine the doctor gives is like $5 for only 3 days prescription.

I guess the Insurer gives them low rate as well.

For Clinics that are owned by holding group, I won't visit, you are pay for the doctors' and his company directors' salaries.

Hate this kind business.

Gone are the days of Wong Fei Hong..

Funny you mentioned Wong Fei Hong 'cos nowadays I prefer to go see Chinese physician. TCM imho is more effective as it gets down to the root of the illness whereas ah mo lo kun prescribe medcine to stop or lessen symptoms of the illness.

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Polyclinic is not exactly cheap too.

 

I think last time I went there, they add some extra fee, besides doctor fee, dunno for what, can't remember.

Only common medicine is cheap.

 

But you need to wait at least one hour.

 

If your time is worth wasting, then ok, otherwise for small illness, better just see your local GP, if you can find a cheaper one. It's not often you get sick.

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