SSISS: MediShield Life premiums kept affordable, HPB's sexuality FAQ welcomed

Bringing you in tune with what’s happening around you today.

Jonathan Lim| February 05, 02:45 AM

Sound Smarter in Sixty Seconds (SSISS) is a new column by Mothership where we brief you on the important headlines of the day. We will also contribute our views on the issues at hand.

 

Health Promotion Board's FAQs on sexuality well-received online.

As part of its effort to educate youth on sexually transmitted diseases from a public health perspective, HPB has published close to 30 FAQs addressing sexuality. The FAQs provide a lot of information regarding homosexuality and bisexuality and how individuals and parents can address it.

It is interesting to see the statutory board enter the LGBT discourse in Singapore. It is also noteworthy that they entered through the public health perspective instead of taking a pro or against stance. It is still too early to say how big HPB's move will impact the acceptance/rejection of the LGBT way of life in Singapore.

 

More NEWater produced as dry spell continues.

PUB has increased the supply of NEWater to deal with the recent dry spell brought about by the Northeast Monsoon. This period of cool, dry and windy weather is expected to last till the end of this month.

It is easy to forget that Singapore has, for many years, relied on our northern neighbour for water. Self-reliance is still a number of years away and one has to wonder why Singapore's water story is not as well-celebrated as it should be for its impressiveness. 

 

MediSave contribution levels to be benchmark for MediShield Life premiums.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that premiums for the MediShield Life scheme will be kept within MediSave annual contributions levels to keep premiums affordable. He added that premiums paid by the younger generation will not be used to subsidise the older generation, rather, it will be used to pre-fund each age cohort's future premiums when they get older.

Healthcare costs in Singapore without insurance coverage is hefty. Public knowledge of what can or cannot be funded by MediSave or covered by MediShield is confusing, mired with jargon and still a long way from ideal.

Pre-funding one's own insurance premiums is a prudent way of ensuring that everyone has at least minimal insurance coverage when they are older and without income. The Health Ministry has to ensure that adequate coverage is given to seniors in the future even if they can no longer no longer fund MediShield since they have been paying premiums when they were younger to pre-fund their later years.

 

Top photo is a screen capture from HPB.

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