JUST how much of your hospital bill will be covered by Government subsidies after means testing kicks in is clearer now, after Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday gave more details of the scheme.

The bottom half of all workers will continue to get full subsidy at public hospitals - 80 per cent in a C-class ward and 65 per cent in a B2-class ward.

The top 20 per cent of earners will still get subsidised, but by a lower amount - 65 per cent in C- class and 50 per cent in B2.

And if your income falls between these groups, the subsidy level will be on a sliding scale, between what the top and bottom earners pay.How will these income levels be decided? Mr Khaw told 250 union leaders yesterday that using the current month's salary was not a good idea, because people who fall sick in a month when they get a bonus would be penalised.

Instead, he will look at the average of the past 12 months' salary.

The details are still being worked out, but using the June 2006 Labour Force survey as an indicator, the bottom half of earners have monthly incomes of $2,040 or less.

Mr Khaw said he decided on the upper and lower limits after getting feedback from more than 1,000 people in the past week, after he announced plans for means testing.

He has explained that basing the amount of subsidy on income levels for the employed, and housing types for retirees, housewives, children and the unemployed, is inevitable.

It will enable the Government to provide better care for the poor in the future, without also attracting the well-off to compete for scarce resources.

Yesterday's session at NTUC Centre, his third so far, was a lively one. Exchanges were fiery and humorous at times during the 21/2-hour session, as Mr Khaw fielded questions such as how the subsidy levels would be decided, whether there would be enough subsidised beds, and whether the asset-rich but cash-poor elderly could cope with the high cost of outpatient care.

He spent much of the night reassuring the audience that he prefers to err on the side of generosity, and that the majority of people will not need to worry.

This led one unionist, Mr Philip Soh, to jokingly urge the minister to 'please make more errors'.

But to another suggestion that older people should get more subsidy, or even free treatment, Mr Khaw gave an emphatic 'no'.

'There are rich elderly and poor young,' he said. That is why he has decided to use personal income or housing-type to determine their ability to pay.

At the end of the dialogue, NTUC secretary-general Lim Swee Say promised to support means testing when Mr Khaw raises the subject in Cabinet.

'After tonight's session, I feel very reassured,' said Mr Lim, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.

While the Government is willing to help, he said people must also help themselves.

He urged the union leaders present to get members, especially casual workers, to contribute to their Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings and to use their Medisave to buy MediShield, the national health insurance scheme.

He said that last year, the union managed to persuade 6,000 casual workers to open CPF accounts and to contribute to Medisave.