How Singapore Solved Healthcare

If you enjoyed this video you might also like "How Singapore Solved Housing" https://youtu.be/3dBaEo4QplQ Also, CuriosityStream and Nebula are currently 41% off: curiositystream.com/polymatter That's just $12 a year!

The solution is easy: hainanese chicken rice once a week keeps the doctor away.

Singapore hospitals: We give u an estimate of your costs up front and the average cost islandwide American hospitals: We're gonna pretend we didn't hear that

As a Singaporean, I am genuinely surprised our healthcare system is so revered by the international community. To us it almost feels like something that is given (not for free but well subsidised)

Bruh, Singapore just went "Why not both" on whether their healthcare should be private or public.

"Tightly regulated to ensure competition" Americans screaming in confusion

5:39 - I started looking for a rogue autoplaying tab until I realized it was background noise from this video. The ol' stock-footage-with-an-audio-track slip!

'hot humid summers' Singaporeans: So, just a regular day?

Singapore: Heavily regulated to ensure competition. American: that aint right

Is it free-market, or is it centrally planned? Yes. LOL Singapore in a nutshell

> “When the government runs a budget surplus” Westerners: what’s a budget surplus?

Remember kids, Singaporeans solutions were meant to solve Singaporeans problems, don't think this solutions would work in your respective countries

Just want to share my personal experience for a better view of the Singapore health system. I was aged 22 when I had a urinary tract infection(UTI). I stayed in a Class A ward which was up to SGD$2000 for my 3 day stay (Including the various test performed and medicine I was given). My ward was a private air-conditioned room with TV and even a personal bathroom to shower in. But I did not had to pay a single cent out of my pocket. Being 22, I have not yet entered the workforce and hence did not have any money in my medisave account. Instead I was able to pay with my mom's medisave account (with her consent ofc) as she was my direct relative, though this was only able to cover 40% of the total cost. The other 60% came from my private insurance which was at a SGD$100 premium per year. Even if lets say I was an orphan and did not have insurance, I was eligible for a 100% covered bill if I was to opt for a class B2 ward as I was serving national service (national conscription) at the time. Gotta say while I disagree with the government on quite a few matters as a citizen, the healthcare system in Singapore is rather good. Hospitalizations aside, Singapore also has government clinics called polyclinics, which are heavily subsidized by the government and are also filled with doctors with lesser experience (Though good enough for the usual things such as flu, viral infection, etc). Hence many citizens are able to have access to affordable healthcare at the cost of waiting time (If you did not have an appointment, the waiting time is about 2-3 hours, worst case scenario 5 hours). If you're infected with a more serious, specialized sort of illness, you're then referred to the private hospitals with specialized doctors which is also heavily subsidized (If you were to go there straight you could save time, but then your treatment will not be as heavily subsidised).

Next episode: how Singapore can afford to buy its citizens Nebula and Brilliant for free.

Here to subjectively compare every country to America

This healthcare system works in Singapore and might only work in Singapore because it needs a highly efficient bureaucracy, high rates of formal sector employment, and a relatively flat healthcare system hierarchy. Place this kind of system into the US and it would likely fail due to the layers of government (federal + state). Place this into Thailand and it would likely fail due to having a large informal sector where employers don't pay taxes and contributions. Place this in Germany and it would likely fail because of all the steps needed in its bureaucracy to function in the name of checks and balances.

As a Singaporean, I confirm that this is correct. The CPF contribution system is not voluntary though, it's mandatory. I used to bitched about it when I was starting out in my career on my meagre salary but when I started buying my own house in my 30s and going to hospitals, I'm like woah....I can afford all this.

Singapore’s geography is absolutely a benefit! No one’s denying that. Even, us, Singaporeans would wholeheartedly agree with anyone who raises this element. It is indeed smaller, one of the smallest even! In fact, when pitted up against any other nation, it would be almost obtuse to point out Singapore’s size. Her convenient size certainly makes the creation these healthcare institutions and the successful running of them much easier. That said, just because Singapore had geography on her side, does not mean that all small nations fare well in providing transparent, affordable and equitable healthcare. It boils down to governance. And good governance is one in spite of a nation’s acreage.

Next episode: How Singapore solved the meaning of life

I once got laughed out of a classroom for posturing that social security needed to be re-evaluated while attending a top-tier business school in the United States. It felt beyond satisfying to hear you call it a pyramid scheme. Thank you sir.