Consumers need help navigating health insurance thicket

ASK the average man in the street what his health insurance covers. Most likely, he doesn't know.

There are several reasons for this lack of understanding: The complexities of the various plans, poor product information and perhaps, just plain apathy on the part of the individual. As Salma Khalik, the health correspondent of The Straits Times, put it, "medical insurance has just got more confusing".

The announcement of a uniform B1 health insurance plan this week, aimed at being affordable and easily understood, was good news. Its strength lies in that all five insurers offering private health insurance plans integrated with MediShield Life will offer similar benefits in a standard, no-frills plan, with only premiums varying between them.