You can use up to $700 (for patients with complex chronic conditions) or $500 (for patients with non-complex chronic conditions) yearly per patient from your MediSave or your approved dependants' MediSave.

Approved dependants refer to your spouse, children, parents, grandchildren and siblings. To use your grandchildren's or siblings' MediSave, you must be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident. The same yearly withdrawal limit applies for approved chronic disease treatments and health screening.

From 1 January 2021, MediSave account holders can use their MediSave to pay for their approved dependant's treatment under MediSave500/700, up to the individual limit ($500 or $700) of the approved dependant. As the withdrawal limits is based on a per-patient basis, withdrawals can be made for your approved dependants' even if you have withdrawn for your own treatments.

MediShield Life covers expenses incurred for hospitalisations and certain approved outpatient treatments, such as kidney dialysis, cancer drugs and radiotherapy for cancer.

If you do not have sufficient funds in your GIRO account for MediShield Life premiums, the GIRO deduction will be unsuccessful and a second GIRO deduction attempt will be made on the 15^th of the next month for two months’ instalments. 

The GIRO payment plan will be suspended if there are two consecutive unsuccessful deductions. Interest and penalties may be imposed on your outstanding premiums and re-activation of the GIRO plan will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. 

MediShield Life premiums are generally paid using MediSave. You can use your own or your family member's MediSave Account to pay your premiums.

GIRO instalment payment is only extended, as a concession, to members with insufficient MediSave to pay their premiums.

If you have insufficient MediSave for your next MediShield Life premium, the premium will be automatically included in your ongoing GIRO payment plan. You do not need to apply for a new GIRO payment plan. We will send you a notification on the revised GIRO payment plan when this happens.

All Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents are covered under MediShield Life no matter how long you live, regardless of age or health condition. MediShield Life helps to pay for large hospital bills and selected costly outpatient treatments such as dialysis and chemotherapy for cancer. It is sized for subsidised treatment in B2/C wards of the public hospitals.

You do not need an Integrated Shield Plan (IP) if you plan to stay in B2/C wards in public hospitals which are heavily subsidised. In fact, majority of Singaporeans, even those who had bought IP, chose to stay in B2/C wards.  In particular, eight in 10 seniors choose B2/C wards when they are hospitalised.

If you buy an IP but choose to stay in B2/C wards in public hospitals, you might want to reconsider whether you should pay for additional private insurance.

However, if you are firm in choosing B1/A wards in public hospitals or seeking treatment at private hospitals, you can consider getting an IP that matches your ward preference. If so, you should be prepared to pay additional premiums for the additional coverage.

Buying and maintaining an Integrated Shield Plan (IP) is a significant lifetime financial commitment. The degree of protection you need evolves and changes with your circumstances and age. As you reach your retirement years, your earning power is likely to reduce while your premiums will rise sharply and your priorities may shift. Depending on your hospital/ ward preferences, you may not want to pay additional premiums for an IP. You should consider the following carefully:

1. Are you likely to choose to seek treatment or be hospitalised at a public or private hospital?
2. If you intend to go to a public hospital, will you choose a B2/C ward (six to eight beds) or Standard B1 ward (four beds) or A ward (single bed), taking into account affordability?
3. If you intend to stay in B2/C wards, you need not buy an IP. This is because MediShield Life is generally sufficient as payouts are pegged to B2/C wards after government subsidies. The deductible and co-insurance can be paid via MediSave, as well as any remaining co-payment subject to the MediSave withdrawal limits.
4. If you prefer to go to a private hospital, assess your means and ability to pay the additional premiums throughout your lifetime. Your annual premiums will increase sharply with age, which means that your premiums will be much higher in your retirement years. Based on the median premiums for each IP plan type, you can potentially save a significant sum.

You may also refer to the checklist when reviewing your IP coverage.

Did You Know? Your private medical insurance premiums could be ~5 times of your MediShield Life premiums for someone in their 70/80s. Click this link to find out more.

You may continue to use your package at the clinic, which is valid for up to 1 year from the initial visit date, if the package claim was made before June 2018.

The Basic Healthcare Sum (BHS) is the estimated savings you need in your MediSave Account for your basic subsidised healthcare needs in old age.

For CPF members below age 65, the BHS will be adjusted annually to keep pace with the expected growth in MediSave use by the elderly. This ensures that the BHS will stay relevant for each cohort when they arrive at retirement age.

Age in 2024

Year when cohort turned age 65

Cohort BHS

(fixed for life)

67

2022

$66,000

68

2021

$63,000

69

2020

$60,000

70

2019

$57,200

71

2018

$54,500

72

2017

$52,000

73 and above

2016 or earlier

$49,800

You can save up to the prevailing Basic Healthcare Sum (BHS) in your MediSave Account if you have not turned age 65. The BHS from 1 January 2024 is $71,500 for all CPF members aged 65 years old and below in 2024. The BHS applicable to you will be adjusted yearly to account for increasing life expectancy and healthcare costs until the year you turn age 65. For instance, if you are aged 65 in 2024, the BHS that is applicable to you will be $71,500 for the rest of your life. The following table summarises the BHS for respective cohorts aged 65 and above in 2024:

As long as you continue to work, you will need to contribute to your MediSave Account (MA). The contributions will accumulate in your MA up to the Basic Healthcare Sum. Your MediSave savings will help you with your medical expenses during retirement.

The Basic Healthcare Sum is an estimate of your likely medical expenses from age 65 onwards. It is determined based on past trends in MediSave use by the elderly. It is meant to cater for your own basic subsidised healthcare expenses, as well as health insurance and long-term care insurance premiums during old age.

To ensure that the Basic Healthcare Sum (BHS) remains relevant for every cohort, we need to adjust it regularly to keep pace with the growth in MediSave use by the elderly, especially with rising healthcare costs and expansions in MediSave uses. The BHS is adjusted yearly for cohorts below age 65.

For each cohort turning 65 years old, their applicable Basic Healthcare Sum (BHS) will be fixed at that year's amount for the rest of their life. For instance, if you are aged 65 in 2024, the BHS applicable to you is $71,500 and it will remain unchanged for the rest of your life.