One of the things that we get asked about is the quality of health care in Singapore, i.e. outside the USA. It was certainly one of the things we were concerned about when considering our move here. Our concern was really the quality of the care, not whether or not it was covered by insurance.Based on our experiences so far, we'd rate our entire experience as "excellent."
Not that we've had that many needs, thankfully. The most acute event was Paul's need for stitches after a hash run. The non-emergency visit to the ER at Mount Elizabeth Hospital (across the street from where we live) was terrific. So were the two follow-up visits to check on healing and to remove the stitches.
Since arriving here, we learned that Singapore actually has a medical tourism "business." People from all over the region come here for a variety of treatments ranging from heart surgery to ...ahem... "beauty enhancement procedures." This concept of medical tourism was something I'd never heard of before moving to Asia -- much less about the apparent competition among Singapore, Thailand, and now India.
The medical system in Singapore is a blend of public and private. The WSJ ran an editorial comparing the system here with that being developed in the USA. The Ministry of Heath (MOH) oversees the entire system. Their web site is an interesting read; the link points to the page that discussed the funding philosophy, a combination of "individual responsibility and affordable healthcare for all."
Singapore has a tiered system, with different pricing provisions for visitors, foreign workers (like us), permanent residents, and citizens. Citizens and permanent residents participate in the full medical system and its related benefits. We do not, but benefit from the pricing and quality competition inherent in the overall system.
The most recent example of this was when it was time for Raye to have her colonoscopy done. It had been 5 years and she's very disciplined about proactive diagnostics. A quick survey of her friends' network provided consistent recommendation for a particular clinic. Since it was also located across the street in Mount Elizabeth, the entire process was very easy. Prep was much shorter than her US experience, starting at 8:30 pm the night before and only using pills and a sports drink. No green Jello and clear liquids all day the day before.
The next day she walked over, had the procedure under anesthesia, waited to wake up, got her report, and walked back -- with a clean bill of health. And a CD containing the photos / video of the procedure. Total cost was S$1390 = US$990; that compares to US$1,660 for Paul's back in 2006.
Oh, yes -- and a nifty shopping bag (note that logo) to carry it all in. After all Singapore is also a major shopping tourism destination...
