How to Save Money on Healthcare in Singapore

When it comes to healthcare costs, we are wired to believe that things cost the way they do. If you have an insurance provider, chances are, you are paying a premium on a regular basis. If you are uninsured, you might be avoiding visits to the nearby clinic or hospital.

You can still save money on healthcare! To get the most value for your dollar, follow these money-saving tips.

#1: PRACTICE PREVENTIVE CARE

Do not get sick! One of the best things you can do to limit your healthcare costs is to establish a healthy routine that incorporates good nutrition, regular exercise, and stress management. Choose a wellness routine that works for you. When you nourish your body and spirit, you can have a meaningful impact on your future health and prevent healthcare costs.

#2: SELECT A SUITABLE HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurance aids you in paying for your medical expenses when you get sick, get injured, or become disabled. Although all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents are covered by Medishield Life, you may face some restrictions to your uses and claims. Payouts correspond to the prices for the Class B2 and C wards in public hospitals. So, you must be prepared to pay a large amount of money if you want to stay in a Class B1 or A ward. You can combat this by enhancing your health insurance coverage with an Integrated Shield plan.

#3: OPT FOR GENERIC MEDICATIONS

Brand-name medications are more expensive than generic brands. From a medical standpoint, previous literature has shown that generic medications seem to perform in the same manner as brand-name medications. Instead of poking a hole in your pocket, you can opt for generics to reap its benefits.

For instance, you can pay S$11.50 for 100 tablets of Paracetamol (500 mg) instead of paying S$10.50 for 20 tablets of Panadol.

#4: DROP BY YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY

For mild conditions, you can visit your local pharmacy to ask for advice. According to Unity’s website, their pharmacists can assist you with advice on minor ailments, medication concerns, travel medication, and so on.

For instance, you can consult their pharmacists if you have questions on your medications for your constipation. If you are experiencing mild ailments such as constipation, you can skip the clinic queues and go straight to the pharmacy. However, you must see a doctor if you are certainly unwell.

#5: SCREEN FOR LESS

Screen for Life is a national screening program that encourages Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents to go for regular health screening. Singaporean citizens only need to pay S$0 to S$5 per screening visit*. While Permanent Residents can check with their CHAS GP clinic on the screening test rates offered under the said program. The doctor consultation will be charged accordingly by the respective CHAS GP clinics.

Note: *Rates apply only at Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) General Practitioner (GP) clinics

#6: GO TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD POLYCLINIC FOR AFFORDABLE DENTAL CARE

If you are looking for a dental option for regular check-up and oral maintenance, search no further than the neighborhood polyclinic. Neighborhood polyclinics offer subsidized dental treatment and care. Both SingHealth and National Healthcare Group polyclinics have dental services, and it is easy to make an appointment online.

Recommended: 5 Most Affordable Dental Clinics In Singapore

Alternatively, you may utilize the company dental and health screening benefits. Check with your employee handbook or ask your Human Resources department to know which medical benefits you are eligible for.

#7: FREE VACCINATIONS AT POLYCLINICS FOR INFANTS

The National Childhood Immunization Program offers immunization against certain diseases, which are fully-subsidized. Full subsidies* for vaccinations under this program are available for Singaporean children at CHAS GP clinics and polyclinics.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Note: *This is applicable for certain vaccine brands. Refer to go.gov.sg/vaccine-list for the list of the latest subsidized vaccine brands.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, & 4

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Moving or renovating your home- why not let Work+Store solve your temporary storage needs?

We may come across the need to have extra space to store our personal items at different phases of our lives. As homeowners, we might be renovating our houses or simply moving to new homes. Likewise, business owners also need space to store inventory for a variety of reasons. The good news is that storage space providers such as Work+Store are providing storage units for lease at very economical rates. Let’s find out why leasing a self storage unit at Work+Store helps one save more money!

For Homeowners

Prices of residential homes in Singapore have been growing unabated and this has put bigger homes out of the budget for some aspiring home-owners. Thankfully, a financially savvier solution has emerged in the form of purchasing a smaller home and leasing a self storage space at Work+Store. This way, there is no need to overstretch your finances and constantly fretting over meeting your mortgage obligations.

One thing that the Covid-19 pandemic had taught many homeowners is how important it is to utilise the space in our homes. As a result, many homeowners have been splurging on extensive home renovations to build a better living environment. This is where Work+Store comes in handy as a place to temporarily store bulky furniture while the renovation of the homes are ongoing.

Likewise, existing home-owners who wish to have an extra storeroom to store bulky items can also choose to lease a Basic Storage Unit at Work+Store. Self storage units are especially handy to store items that are used less frequently such as winter wear. They can also store the impulse purchases bought during the Covid-19 pandemic such as bicycles or home gym equipment.

For Business Owners


E-commerce and small businesses can significantly reduce the cost of their operations by leasing self storage units from Work+Store to store their inventory. Some of these storage units are fully air-conditioned, business owners can perform fulfilment duties comfortably. You may consider the windows units if you worry of the discomfort feeling for staying too long in an enclosed space.

For business owners who are changing business concepts, shifting location or simply shutting down due to the challenging economic conditions, excess inventory can also be stored temporarily at Work+Store’s self storage units. The length of the lease is flexible enough to cater to the lessee’s business plans.

Why Work+Store

Work+Store offers a wide-ranging variety of self-storage units that are conveniently located across 9 locations in Singapore.

  • Sizes range from 20sqft to 600sqft to suit the needs of most self-storage users.
  • Lease tenure is so flexible such that users can even choose to change the size of their storage units during their lease periods to suit their needs at specific time periods.
  • Storage users can access their leased storage units 24/7. Not to worry, peace of mind is ensured as all 9 locations are monitored with CCTV at all times of the day.
  • More importantly, they are also extremely affordable as prices start from as low as only $125/month.

If you require more space to store your bulky items, do consider the storage units at Work+Store and arrange for a viewing. Virtual viewing is also available which makes the process even more convenient! Whatsapp them at 8722 8000 or you may also reach out to them via email at [email protected].

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Latest WFH internships posted from 12 to 15 July 2022

young interns at work

You can gain useful work knowledge in your profession of choice through an internship. It’s a great opportunity to acquire practical career skills and familiarity with how businesses operate.

These work experiences can be beneficial when you’re looking to hone hands-on experience in a specific industry after graduating. In addition, listing your internships on your resume will help you make up for a lack of job experience if you’re a recent graduate.

If you’re up for it, here are the latest WFH internships posted from 12 to 15 July 2022.

#1: Merry Bees – Digital Marketing Intern

Merry Bees

Website: https://www.merry-bees.com/

Allowance / Remuneration: $800 – 1,500 monthly

Job Qualifications
  • Singapore-based
  • Able to work flexible hours
  • Team player and pleasant personality
  • Has a passion and flair for using social networking platform
  • Commitment to 44 hours a week during the period of internship
  • Has a strong sense of integrity and able to think quickly on his/her feet
  • Likes and can organize and prioritize time-sensitive assignments
  • Background in Marketing, Communication, Arts Management, Business, or other related disciplines
  • No prior experience is required but the candidate must have a positive and resilient attitude, motivated and excited to learn new skills
  • Well-groomed and possess excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Knowledge and fluency in Mandarin and other languages are a bonus.
Key Responsibilities
  • Coordinating events on-site or virtually
  • Provide administrative and operational support
  • Build relationships with customers and manage customer needs and expectations
  • Provide information on products and services
  • Manage project timeline
  • Support client’s marketing campaign, planning, and execution
  • Write copy for social media posts, promotional emails, and other marketing collateral
  • Assist in the creation of written, video, and image content for marketing channels
  • Participate in marketing brainstorming sessions
  • Plan and prepare business proposals with the Business Development (BD) team
  • Provide administrative support to the BD team on agreements, invoices, documentation, archival of events, and more
  • Coordinate event venue arrangements, programs, and materials
  • Manage onsite logistics, lighting/AV/and staging requirements, bumping out activities
  • Conduct equipment checks and carry out proper storage
  • Administer customer feedback and prepare post-event report
  • Prepare necessary documentation in support of project closure
  • Other ad-hoc duties when required
How to apply?

View the job post in full here and write to Shi Li via this link.

#2: Wego Pte Ltd – UX Research Intern

Wego Pte Ltd

Website: https://www.wego.com.sg/

Allowance / Remuneration: $800 – 1,500 monthly

Job Qualifications
  • Someone with strong creativity coupled with logical skills, with the ability to see a problem from multiple angles
  • A love for creating products from insights, connecting the dots, and discovering trends to see the real story behind numbers
  • Preferred background in Research, Design, Engineering, Data Analysis, Human-Computer Interaction, and other fields in Human Behaviour (e.g. Sociology, Psychology, Behavioural Economics)
Key Responsibilities
  • Competitive & gap analysis, customer research
  • Conduct primary and secondary user research in-person and remote
  • Conduct and evaluate quantitative and qualitative research
  • Perform market and ethnographic research
  • Work closely with cross-functional teams to identify and evaluate research topics
  • Plan and implement user research strategies and methodologies
  • Advocate research findings to diverse audiences through written and oral presentations
  • Perform usability studies with consumers
  • Ask questions, gather data, and analyze data
  • Use a diverse set of UX research tools
  • Utilize different testing methods including usability reviews, heuristic evaluation, click stream analysis, tree-testing, A/B testing
How to apply?

View the job post in full here and write to Richard via this link.

#3: Faio Creatives – Social Content Internship

Faio Creatives

Website: https://faiocreatives.co/

Allowance / Remuneration: $700 – 1,000 monthly

Job Qualifications
  • Preferably possess basic filming equipment
  • Hunger and willingness to develop within a creative team
  • Prior experience in Digital Marketing, Copywriting, Graphic Design, and/or Branding is a plus
  • Proficient in Adobe Lightroom/Adobe Illustrator/Adobe Photoshop/Premiere Pro/Canva and/or industry editing tools
Key Responsibilities
  • Web Management
  • Brand Creation & Activation
  • Copywriting/Graphic/Visual Design
  • Visual & Art Direction for Social Media
  • Social Media Marketing and Management
  • Development & Production of Digital Assets
  • Photography/Videography Conceptualisation
How to apply?

View the job post in full here and send your portfolio to [email protected].

#4: The Immigration People Pte Ltd – Copywriter

The Immigration People Pte Ltd

Website: https://www.tip.com.sg/

Allowance / Remuneration: $800 – 1,000 monthly

Job Qualifications
  • Basic computer skills
  • Evidence of writing experience
  • Minimally a Diploma in any field
  • Critical reading and thinking skills
  • Resilience and ability to accept constructive feedback
  • An interest in current events, news, and a general thirst for knowledge
Key Responsibilities
  • Conduct review and research of clients’ documents and material before and during the writing process.
  • Crafting reference letters and immigration cover letters to the relevant government authorities for our clients’ Singapore immigration applications
  • Ensuring the logical flow of all writing produced
  • Conducting thorough fact-checks before submitting any work
  • Ability to handle tight deadlines while maintaining a high standard of work
  • Attending training sessions and workshops as required
  • Ad hoc duties as assigned by the Management
How to apply?

View the job post in full here and send your CV to [email protected].

#5: Superminted Pte Ltd – Web Development Intern

Superminted Pte Ltd

Website: https://www.superminted.com/

Allowance / Remuneration: $800 – 1,100 monthly

Job Qualifications
  • Studying Computer Science or a similar field
  • Understand server-side CSS
  • Understand the principles of SEO
  • Have excellent skills in problem-solving
  • Be proficient in communicating skills
  • Have good interpersonal skills
  • Excellent time and project management skills
  • Have some experience in building websites, UI/UX design
  • Be familiar with graphic design applications (e.g., Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop)
  • Have some proficiency in coding languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery
Key Responsibilities
  • Suggest features to enhance UI/UX
  • Ensure project timelines are monitored and met
  • Keep the branding consistent throughout the website
  • Recommend improvements to webpage design and structure
  • Quality checks on desktop vs mobile sites, for both design and content
  • Assist to check and ensure web pages are optimized for the best speed and scalability
How to apply?

View the job post in full here and write to Esther via this link.

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COVID-19 updates for those planning a trip to Japan, Australia, South Korea, and New Zealand

departure hall of Gimpo International Airport

May witnessed a rise in trips abroad as a result of additional relaxing of immigration restrictions in several countries, with aviation traffic on certain international routes reaching pre-pandemic levels.

The amount of traffic on a global level in May was 68.7 percent of 2019’s, which is the best comparison to traffic before COVID-19 thus far this year.

Amidst inflation, hefty jet fuel costs, and lacking consumer confidence, there is still a travel recovery, demonstrating that individuals continue to be quite keen to travel overseas. However, with many countries seeing an uptick in recent COVID-19 cases, including our sunny island, will we all be able to hop on board our next flight soon?

Stay on this page for COVID-19 updates for those planning a trip to Japan, Australia, South Korea, and New Zealand.

Japan
streets of Japan

Image Credits: channelnewsasia.com

On 14 July, Japan issued a public health alert, advising people to take extra precautions in light of the upcoming summer holidays as a fresh wave of coronavirus infections looked to be spreading quickly.

The number of reported cases in Tokyo rose to 16,878 on 13 July, reaching levels not seen since early this year. This is the greatest number of cases since February. On 14 July, the capital reported 16,662 new cases and increased its alertness to the maximum level. More than 50% of the cases recently are caused by the BA.5 mutation.

Australia
Asians in Australia

Image Credits: bbc.com

The health system in Australia is also on high alert as a result of a recent uptick in cases caused by the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, which has brought COVID-19 numbers to levels that are not far off from records set earlier in 2022.

After achieving world-beating immunization rates, Australia ended stringent social distancing regulations and emergency lockdowns at the beginning of this year. Authorities have warned that there might be millions of new infections in the nation over the next few weeks while ruling out any stringent limitations to stop the spread despite the fast-moving subvariants.

South Korea
People drink and eat outdoors in downtown Seoul

Image Credits: koreatimes.co.kr

As infections decreased after reaching a peak of more than 600,000 per day in mid-March, South Korea abandoned the majority of its pandemic-related restrictions in May, including a requirement that people wear outside masks. But for the first time in two months, the number of COVID-19 infections in South Korea has risen beyond 40,000, and the government has issued a warning about a probable five-fold increase in the following months.

The government does not currently have any intentions to reinstate limitations, but it does not completely rule them out if the COVID-19 scenario undergoes a major shift. They are likely to increase quarantine checks at major airports as the volume of travelers is anticipated to increase significantly over the summer vacation period amid a new wave of viral recurrence, according to the most recent news on 15 July.

To strengthen quarantine inspection, an extra 200 quarantine employees will eventually be sent to Incheon International Airport, the main entry point into the nation, and seven other regional airports. Separately, the government will deploy roughly 2,500 employees to the nation’s busiest tourist destinations to monitor adherence to antivirus regulations and hygienic measures.

New Zealand
streets of New Zealand

Image Credits: reuters.com

As we come to a close, the most recent updates for New Zealand have it that the number of new COVID-19 cases has significantly increased over the last few weeks, and experts are predicting that this wave of Omicron seems worse than the first.

To stop the spread of COVID-19 and ease pressure on the nation’s healthcare system, which is grappling with an inflow of flu and COVID-19 patients, the New Zealand government introduced free masks and fast antigen tests on 14 July.

People are currently compelled to wear masks in public indoor areas, such as in stores, libraries, and public transportation under New Zealand’s current “orange light” rules. A switch to “red” constraints would impose a 200-person indoor gathering cap, but there is currently no political support for such an interruption, and the majority of infectious disease specialists do not believe it would have a substantial effect.

Updates from the World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

On 12 July, the head of WHO issued a warning that recent COVID-19 infection waves indicate the epidemic is far from finished. Early in July, the COVID-19 emergency committee of the WHO convened by video conference and declared that the pandemic continues to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the most serious alert the WHO can issue.

The committee concluded that the course of viral evolution and the attributes of newly emerging variants continues to remain largely unpredictable and that the probability of new, more adaptable variants springing up with varying degrees of infectivity and immune escape ability increased in the apparent lack of actions to minimize transmission.

And true enough, as we’ve learned over the years, the changes brought about by COVID-19 are not to be taken lightly. For those who are traveling, it would be wise to keep checking back on the news on the latest restrictions or refer to the specific embassy’s news on any possible update on travel restrictions. We hope everyone will get to vacation with minimal disruptions but stay safe even while treading within the boundaries of Singapore.

Editor’s note: All information published at the time of writing is accurate.

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