Why Lose Weight?

Well yeah, there’s lots of stuff that’ll run thru your mind with this one. How fast can I lose these kilos, for how long will I have to sacrifice my favourite Cha Kway Teow, Nasi Beriyani or Orr Chien.

“You mean I’ll have to exercise? Really?”

Well here’s the low down. If you’re losing weight for cosmetic sake alone, forget it. You’ll put it all back on after that party. I suspect you know what I mean.

You buy this beautiful, slinky, black dress for next week’s dinner and dance, one size smaller. Then you starve yourself for the week so that you’ll fit into the dress, just in time for the party.

Note: if you’re a guy you may want to get the biggest dress size. All that beer will cause your waistline to expand during the party.

If you’ve done this before, you’d probably have also experienced putting all that weight back on again.

If you can understand however, the health benefits of losing weight, you’ll have a better chance of keeping it off. And the changes you make by way of your food and life style will be worth your efforts.

And the benefits of long term weight loss are???

Lifelong HEALTH! – So that you won’t have to rely on a pump to clean out your kidneys, or wait for some poor healthy soul to meet with a fatal accident for you get to use his heart…

Longevity. Being able to see your children get married and holding your grand child in your arms! Having thoughts of spoiling them with burgers, ice-cream and French fries… If that’s not as important, then think about being able to live long enough to cash out your CPF and actually touching the cash, finally! (I know; you thinking that that’s fast becoming a fantasy right?).

Freedom. Being able to enjoy something as basic as strolling along the beach with a loved one or playing golf when you reach 50 years old– without huffing and puffing. The last thing the next flight needs is someone clutching his chest and rolling around on the 9th hole taking up precious time.

Make sure that your doctor would only be able to afford to drive a Geely. You’ll not have pay hefty hospital bills or pop bagfuls of expensive medicine daily to control your blood pressure or blood sugar, or opt for expensive invasive surgery so that you can live longer, navigating your way through life on one of those 3-legged metal canes or strollers.

Look and feel great. The fitter you are, the better you carry yourself, the greater your self esteem – you’ll even begin to look more attractive to your spouse. It could be a cure for those pesky “Dragon Women’ who are after your husbands, ladies!

You smell better too really. I know that it’s a mean thing to say. But the fatter you are the greater the chance for bacteria from sweat to have a party and multiply inside the many folds of your skin. Just like humans, when bacteria party too much, they puke. Have you ever smelled puke?

Ensure that you get that promotion at work. Studies have shown that to a great extent, employers tend to associate fitness with being able to handle greater stress, good time management and greater responsibilities – hence the promotion.

Lower life insurance premiums. If the insurance companies charge you more for being fat, don’t be mad or feel offended. It’s your fault in the first place. I mean the more butter you carry to the check-out counter at the supermarket, the more it’ll cost you right? Take it as a cue to lose the ‘butter’ and begin getting back to health, now.

Better Sex. Good health means better circulation and so all your plumbing will be in good working order or begin to improve. With better plumbing, the ‘pump’ and the ‘valve’ will also work better. And it makes good sense to test the system ever so often, right?

AHA! If you are 10kg overweight, imagine 40 pieces of butter blocks, the ones sold in the supermarkets (these usually weigh 250g each), attaching themselves around your thighs, arms, buttocks and waist. Hmmmm.

Medishield Upgrade

If you’re on the old Medisave plan, do consider upgrading it to the more comprehensive and beneficial “AS CHARGED” plans that’s currently available to you.

What does AS CHARGED mean?
You get admitted into hospital and all your medical bills (less the Deductible and 10% Co-Insurance) will be paid for by the plan up to the maximum limit you have opted for. This amount is currently up to $300,000 or $500,000.

The Wisdom of the AS CHARGED plans:
1. Premiums are paid from your Medisave account,
2. Premiums are extremely low compared to the insurance amount,
3. Higher cover and life time cover than the basic plan– You shall have a $300,000 or $500,000 ‘account’ to pay your hospitalisation bills from with the upgrade,
4. You are not subjected to the sub-limits of the basic Medishield plan that imposes a limit on the amount you can claim,
5. It goes with you at every stage of your life – even when you stop working, and are no longer covered by your employer, you will have this plan covering you (of course you must still be paying the premiums),
6. You can include your spouse and children in it and still use your Medisave to pay for them,
7. Relief yourself of the burden of a hefty hospital bill (whether in times of economic uncertainty or not, hospital bills can literally kill you). The last thing you want is a bill so big that it cripples you financially.

You now have the option of including a rider that will help cover even the Deductible and the 10% Co-insurance.

What is a deductible? Well the concept is similar to the excess you pay in the event of a motor accident. This however is charged by the hospital and the amount is dependent on which class of hospital care you choose.

If you choose the C class wards, then you’ll bear an ANNUAL DEDUCTIBLE of $1,500 from your medical bill. If you choose A Class care, then you’ll have to bear the first $3,000 of the hospital bill.

And this amount shall be paid for in cash and/or your Medisave, or both.

Besides this you’re also required to pay the co-insurance
That’s an amount equivalent to 10% of the hospital bill AFTER subtracting the deductible from it. And can amount to quite a bit, if the bill is a hefty one.

And the wisdom of purchasing a rider to cover both these items?
1. You could cover 100% of your bills – any bill from the most minimum up to $300K or $500K can be easily dealt with
2. You shall be reimbursed for the cash or Medisave you used to pay for the deductible and the co-insurance
3. You can choose the best possible hospital care for yourself and your loved ones, without worrying about the medical cost
4. Peace of mind

How is this calculated?
Let’s assume a bill of $25,000 and an A Class ward. The deductible is $3,000
$25,000 - $3,000 = $22,000
Of which you’ll still have to pay the co-insurance of 10% or $2,200
$22,000 - $2,200 = $19,800

So without the rider the insurance company pays $19,800, and you’ll pay $5,200
With Rider, the insurance company pays the full $25,000; you pay nothing.

As this risk is borne solely by the insurance company, you’d be using CASH to pay for this rider.

So there, in a nutshell – the benefits of upgrading your Medishield plans to one offered by the private insurance companies. Call me if you need more details or would like to discuss an upgrade.