SMU Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan called Singapore’s launch of the MediShield Life Scheme significant, as it represents “a shift in the government's thinking with regards to the need for a stronger social safety net”. He added that this will go some way in alleviating the anxieties of Singaporeans regarding rising healthcare costs. Associate Prof Tan also said that the new healthcare policy would boost the credentials of the People's Acting Party (PAP), and that the PAP "will be seen as not being so tight-fisted as before”, although there are "expectations that the government can do more, especially to lighten 'out-of-pocket' healthcare costs”.