Revista de investigación de economía

The Singapore Model of Managing Healthcare Cost

Phang Xue Ni Sendy and Ameen Talib

The Singapore healthcare system can be considered a successful system in relation to its efficiency and provision of world class services to Singaporean residents. One of the major factors that have contributed to the success of the Singapore Healthcare system has been how healthcare cost is managed. This paper seeks to evaluate how Singapore manages its healthcare cost. We compare how health cost is managed in Singapore, with that of the United States and Germany. The study found out that Singapore manages its healthcare cost through multiple protection schemes that are supplemented with private health insurance to cater for individual health cost. Individuals are the major contributors of the healthcare cost in Singapore. There are government subsidies to supplement these contributions. The needy and poor are able to be afforded various healthcare services, but only after allowing those who are capable of paying to do so. However, the major problem facing the Singapore healthcare system is the increase in the number of insurance claims.