REACH - 14. Healthcare Policies
5 Mar 2020 (6pm - 10pm)

REACH
[5:21 PM, 3/5/2020] : Patients with complex chronic conditions to get higher annual MediSave withdrawal limit
📢 Topic: 📢
The annual MediSave withdrawal limit will be raised next year - this means that eligible Singaporeans will be able to use more of their MediSave for their medical needs. What do you think of this MediSave enhancement?
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/medisave-patients-complex-chronic-conditions-higher-annual-limit-12505036
[5:21 PM, 3/5/2020] +65 9150 9127: Parliament: Pre-packaged sugary drinks to carry A to D grading by end-2021; bubble tea to follow suit

📢 Topic: 📢
Do you think the grading of pre-packages sugary drinks will be effective in helping people make better decisions about their beverage choices?
https://str.sg/Jxkf
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[6:03 PM, 3/5/2020] Ricky Lim:

(1) Support the Medisave enhancement to allow Singaporeans to tap on more of their Medisave $700 (up from $500) to fund thier chronic medical expenses - so that they need not use their out-of-pocket money to fund it.
But this also means these Singaporeans are losing the 4% interest rate per year on their balance of Medisave account.
But if they need it, they have a choice whether to use it or not.

(2) As for grading the sugrary drinks --- a good initiative --- as it will make people more aware what types of drinks to buy ---- and the tendency is that, people will avoid those drinks with high sugar content with this grading.
Eg. people will buy more A and B grade drinks - while avoiding the C and D grade drinks.
What we eat or drink directly affect our health.
Oily, high sugar and high salt content food --- will give us more sickness and increase our healthcare cost.

(3) Encouraging people to exercise --- will make people healthy and less need to seek medical help and lower our healthcare cost.