Hundreds gather for MediShield Life protest at Hong Lim Park
More than a month after a protest against the Central Provident Fund, a crowd of what appeared to be several hundred people gathered on Saturday afternoon at Hong Lim Park to take aim at MediShield Life, the government’s planned enhancement of basic medical insurance scheme MediShield.
Former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian and several opposition leaders were some of the speakers at the event, which organizers said was designed to highlight the “inadequate measures” in place to protect the healthcare needs of Singaporeans.
Addressing a smaller crowd than the estimated 3,000 people that turned up at the CPF protest on 7 June this year, Tan, who was CEO of life insurance company NTUC Income, said there were still “holes” in MediShield Life, as he pointed out the scheme would not cover pre and post-hospital bills.
"A good scheme is one where you just have to pay a premium and that most of the are taken care of under it," said Tan.
To start at the end of 2015 and to include Singapore citizens and permanent residents, MediShield Life will, according to the government, give better coverage for large subsidised bills and provide lifetime coverage.
Along with the better benefits, however, the government said that higher premiums would have to be charged. The Ministry of Health said the recommendation was for a 30 per cent additional premium for those with pre-existing conditions.
Other speakers who took to the stage were: civil rights activist Vincent Wijeysingha, Reform Party secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Singapore Democratic Party treasurer Chong Wai Fung, and bloggers Leong Sze Hian, Han Hui Hui and Roy Ngerng.
In explaining why she was organising the follow-up CPF protest, Han earlier said in an email to media that there was no transparency and accountability in how the government was using CPF monies or the returns derived from CPF funds.
A recent survey of 1,000 Singaporeans has found that more than half of them believe that the CPF system does not give a fair return.
Han also noted that from a cash flow perspective, the government was “still not spending a single cent on healthcare because MediSave contributions in a year continue to exceeds all withdrawals including government healthcare spending”.
Amid a graying population, several quarters have called for greater government spending on social services, particularly healthcare.
-- With reporting by Nurul Azliah Aripin
