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SINGAPORE: Premiums for CareShield Life – an improved version of the ElderShield National Disability Plan, should not be differentiated by sex, several MPs debated in Parliament Tuesday, July 10.
A total of 20 MPs debated that was designed based on the recommendations of an ElderShield review panel. Several members said that differentiation makes the system less inclusive.
MPP Tanjong Pagar RCMP Lily Neo said some women may have more trouble paying premiums and urged Health Minister Gan Kim Yong to reconsider higher premiums for women.
"Although I can understand that women live longer, I think there can be better inclusion and equity. My concern is that women may have fewer ways to pay the premiums than men, "she said, adding that women earn less because of family responsibilities and could save even less with age.
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THE PROPORTION OF WOMEN SHOULD BECOME DISABLED: AMY KHOR
Responding to Dr. Neo, Ms. Lim, and others who have raised the same point, the State Minister for Health Amy Khor has stated on the ElderSh Review Committee the subject was discussed at length and this decision was not easy to make.
"Although we have designed CareShield Life to be inclusive, it is equally important that the system be fair and sustainable, women need to live longer than men and are therefore more likely to spend more time in severe disability. , she explained.
To emphasize the need for differentiation, she said: Last year, the average life expectancy at birth of women was 85.2 years, compared with 80.7 years for men.
Three out of five healthy women at age 65 are expected to become severely disabled, compared to two out of five healthy men at age 65.
She also attracted attention to a longitudinal survey of Singaporeans aged 2009 to 2011. 2012, in which researchers estimate that women 60 years old should spend 7.8 years requiring help for activities of daily living (ADL) by compared to 2.6 years for the ho 60 years old.
In order for a person to be considered seriously disabled by a CareShield Life claim, he or she must be unable to perform at least three of the six ADLs independently. It is about washing, getting dressed, eating, using the toilet, moving around and moving from a bed to a chair.
The committee found that women have, on average, less savings, and that the costs could be better borne by men, she added.
"However, the Committee decided that premiums for CareShield Life would better reflect the differences in risk between men and women and result in a more sustainable diet," she said.
RELIEF ON CLAIMS, INCREASE IN PAYMENT
Members also asked whether the government would consider revising the applicants' eligibility conditions.
Hougang MP SMC Png Eng Huat said that Disability has remained "intact" in recent years during Eldershield's exams and is too "restrictive" when policyholders have to file a claim.
"Not being able to do the same" one of the six ADLs is already a challenge for most of us in the House, "he said, and pointed to his party's call to review the ADLs test.
Bukit MLA Batok SMC Murali Pillai advocated a more measured approach and asked if the affordability of premiums and the impact on government grants will be affected if applications are facilitated.
He was concerned about the impact of lowering the threshold on premiums. Will premiums remain affordable? If no, how many more grants are expected from the government? "The annual bonus should be S $ 206 for a 30-year-old man in 2020 and S $ 253 for a woman." Dr. Lily Neo, Dr. Lee Bee Wah and Mr. Melvin Yong also asked if $ 600 a month, the proposed departure payment, will suffice, and if the payment increases can continue for life even after a claim is made.
Mr. Chee Hong Tat, which was the main state of affairs for health until April of this year, addressed these suggestions and questions.The Committee considered these ideas and carefully considered the tradeoffs between the increase in the amount of payments and the lowering of the claim standard in relation to the need to maintain affordable premiums in a universal insurance plan, he said.
"If we increase the amount of payments from 600 to 800 bucks a month, bonuses for a 30 year old man n 2020 could increase by about a third, "he said.
He added that if, moreover, the criterion of the claims is lowered from three ADL to two, the premiums will increase still by a third. As a result, the annual starting bonus will be approximately 70% higher than the presently proposed premium
CALL FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY
Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol Zainal Sapari and MP Lee Bee Wah also asked for actuarial clarification and an impact on premiums, if the government were to include those with pre-existing severe disabilities in existing cohorts of CareShield Life.
Answering their questions, Dr. Khor said that the proportion "About 7 per cent of Singaporeans aged 65 and over are severely disabled, compared to less than 0.1 per cent of Singaporeans aged 30 to 40." she said. .
She warned that the inclusion of severely disabled cohorts in CareShield Life would significantly increase premiums by about 30 percent for the rest of the cohort subscribers
MP for Aljunied RCMP Pritam Singh in Parliament
MP WP Pritam Singh and Non-Constituent MP Leon Perera called for more transparency in premium mechanism
"To prevent unnecessary speculation and misinformation about CareShield Life, the government should commit to publish and be absolutely transparent the principles and actuarial factors that drive premium increases, including the returns on CareShield Life's investments, "he said.
Recognizing that MPs consider that CareShield Life is not easy for Singaporeans to understand, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that the government would initiate more communications and engagement efforts
. work with community partners and stakeholders to reach Singaporeans. We will continue to explain the plans to Singaporeans and how they can use them to meet their long-term care needs. "
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