UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH), Aetna Inc. (AET) and Three Potential Obamacare Changes Courtesy of Singapore

3. Target specific areas for more government involvement
When the Supreme Court upheld much of Obamacare in 2012, shares in large hospital system operator HCA Holdings Inc (NYSE:HCA) soared. The stock is up over 40% since the ruling. The key reason: Hospitals incurred significant losses when they had to absorb costs of providing free medical care to uninsured patients. Their hope with Obamacare was that there would be far fewer uninsured people.

Singapore addresses this issue through more government involvement in targeted ways. Like Obamacare, their system subsidizes low-income earners. The government operates several public hospitals. And it regulates prices and services, although not with an iron fist as seen in socialized systems.

Overall, Singapore has a lower profile in health care than the U.S. government does. That approach probably wouldn’t appeal to many Democrats. Republicans typically aren’t big fans of government regulations on pricing. Both sides have something to dislike.

Love or hate?
While Obamacare’s goals included improving health care and lowering insurance premiums, some people, including Aetna Inc. (NYSE:AET) CEO Mark Bertolini, think that insurance premiums will actually rise. If Bertolini and others are correct in their predictions, there could be a public groundswell for changes.

Singapore’s system, like Obamacare, isn’t perfect. However, with overall per-capita costs amounting to only a fraction of those in the U.S., perhaps we should consider borrowing a few ideas. Whether you love Obamacare, hate it, or are somewhere in between, there’s one thing that all Americans can agree on: We want to continually improve.

What’s your take on Singapore’s approach? Could some of their ideas work in the U.S.? Voice your opinion in the comments below.

The article 3 Potential Obamacare Changes Courtesy of Singapore originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Keith Speights has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends UnitedHealth Group.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.