Health Care Over Haul

It is very interesting moving to a country with a combination of government run and private health care in the middle of a big health care debate in the U.S.

Everyone knows we need to do something as a nation to "fix" our health care issues in the United States but what..... it is so complicated and such a big issue.

We have used many different facets of the health care system here in Singapore since we have arrived.  One of the first things we noticed is that the service is thorough, quick and good.  In our clinic, Camden International Medical Clinic, each doctor has just one exam room and there are several doctors serving the clinic, the longest wait we had was 20 minutes and that was for a "we will squeeze you in" appointment.

After your exam if you need medication, it is given to you right there at the clinic, there is no going to a pharmacy and again waiting and paying a separate bill. 

Speaking of bills, we in the United States seem to get bills for one procedure for MONTHS afterwards, it is insane how many different bills you get for one leg x-ray, there is the clinic bill, the doctor bill, the intern bill, the x-ray bill, the radiologist bill the list goes on and on and on....

In Singapore I needed a radiological procedure done, this is how it worked.  I went to the doctor, they determined that I needed the test.  They gave me a referral, called and made my appointment for me consulting with me and my calendar, and then haded me my bill.  The bill was ONE bill that included my doctor visit and the test that I needed.  That is it, you are done, yes, you pay for the test at the clinic and then just go and get the test done.  The doctor called with in two days after the test with my results, there is no more, no bills coming in for months and months afterwards, it is great.

Also things are way cheaper here, so we ask, why is is so very expensive back home? 

Now in all fairness we have not experienced the Emergency Room but we hope we don't ever have any information to share with you regarding a visit to the ER.

Even the specialist work the same way, we have seen an ENT, and an endocrinologist while here, one bill, one time, one happy patient.

I don't have an answer to our health care problems in the U.S. it is not my specialty and I won't pretend to know more about it than I do, I just know that our health care experience and billing procedures here have been a breath of fresh air.