For or against: using our medisave to pay for dental fees

• jasonlai73

  5 Apr 07, 01:50

  We know that our government is always cautious in using our CPF fund. But how about say allowing us to use $100 per year to pay our dental fees or normal medical consultations at private clinics? Though it is a meagre amount but at least it will help alot for low income workers isn't it.
  
  Any better suggestions?
• MooKu

  5 Apr 07, 01:55

  If they are lower income, they will not have much in their medisave right?
  
  If they do not have much in their medisave, to allow them to withdraw $100 a year is a lot compared to all the money in their Medisave.
  
  So what happens when they need to use their Medisave funds to pay for something bigger?
• hloc

  5 Apr 07, 09:30

  I was hoping for more...... doing a 'bridge' or 'crown' would cost as much as 1.5K....... $100 isn't that much.
• MooKu

  5 Apr 07, 12:41

  Everyone should have savings for moments like these. And then also, prevention is the best cure.
  
  I think Medisave should be reserved for moments where someone really falls ill and has to pay large amount of hospital bills.
  
  If there has to be something to pick at, then pick at the withdrawal policies that apply when people come into situations like the abovementioned.
• oxford mushroom

  5 Apr 07, 14:55

  Originally posted by MooKu:

  If they are lower income, they will not have much in their medisave right?
  
  If they do not have much in their medisave, to allow them to withdraw $100 a year is a lot compared to all the money in their Medisave.
  
  So what happens when they need to use their Medisave funds to pay for something bigger?

  That is the issue. People must not confuse Medisave with Medishield. Medisave is your own savings for future health needs. As you said, low income persons have even less in their medisave accounts and it will not be a good idea to deplete this account prematurely.
  
  The use of medisave has been liberalized in recent days. It will not be good to keep picking at it for an increasing list of purposes when there is no reason to suggest that savings in this account have increased significantly. Dental treatment is generally not life-threatening and we should not deplete medisave accounts for such treatments.