Means testing in public hospitals

A consumer asked if it was possible for a person above the means test level to be treated in subsidised wards B2 and C) in public hospitals. He was under the impression that this was not allowed.

I checked the Internet and found this document. Patients at higher income can be treated in subsidised wards, but they enjoy a lower level of subsidy. There was so much publicity about means testing that gave the wrong impression to many people, including me. The final decision was not well publicised - so many people still had the wrong impression.

I spoke to a senior doctor in a public hospital. He was also not aware about how means testing had been implemented. He thought that it was still under consideration. When I told him about the actual situation, his reply was "because I was not pesonally involved in this matter, I am not aware about its actual implementation".

I lamented. Why do we have practices that are so complicated that even those who are supposed to be implementing these decisions are confused? Can we simplify matters for the citizens?

Tan Kin Lian