Patient advocate

I have posted a newspaper article about patient advocates. They are knowledgeable people who advice patients on selecting the right doctor to treat an illness. Many patients are at a loss on selecting the right treatment and can pay a lot of money in selecting the wrong doctor or patient. This is how they get a big hospital bill.

By getting insurance, the patients are covered from the burden of paying the large bill, but the total cost is shared by all consumers through higher insurance premiums. Premiums will continue to increase, if patients do not make the right choice and pay more than needed.

Insurance companies and their agents are happy to see higher premiums. It means bigger commissions and profits to them. Can they step back and think about the burden of higher cost to consumers? Can they play a role to minimise these increases?

Patient advocates are now found in America. I hope that they can be available in Singapore too.