Both MediShield Life and CareShield Life are insurance plans, but they serve different purposes. They complement each other in providing lifetime protection against different types of healthcare expenses.

MediShield Life helps to pay for large hospital bills and selected costly outpatient treatments such as dialysis and chemotherapy for cancer. Whereas CareShield Life provides cash payouts to help severely disabled individuals with their long-term care costs.

In order to qualify for suspension of premium collection, you must have resided outside Singapore for at least five years immediately preceding your application, except for short visits back to Singapore (not exceeding 140 days in total during the five years). As such, you may wish to apply only after you have fulfilled all the criteria.

Means-tests are generally refreshed on an annual basis when your MediShield Life subsidy eligibility is due for an update. During the annual update, your latest Annual Value (AV) would be means-tested based on the latest AV criteria.

Additionally, your subsidy eligibility may be updated when there are changes to your household information, such as a new-born in your household or when you apply for / renew your status under other healthcare subsidy schemes such as the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS).

If your 2022 residential AV property falls between $13,000 and $25,000, your means-test record would automatically be refreshed in January 2024. No action is required from affected individuals.

You can top up your MediSave account via voluntary contributions with cash, subject to the relevant limits. Your outstanding MediShield Life premiums will be deducted from your MediSave. Family members such as parents and spouse can also help to pay for your premiums using their MediSave.

If you do not have family support and are unable to pay your premiums, you can apply for Additional Premium Support.

Universal lifelong coverage under MediShield Life ensures that all Singapore Citizens (SCs) and Permanent Residents (PRs) will have assurance against large healthcare bills. This is in line with our move to a more inclusive society with stronger collective responsibility. MediShield Life is thus mandatory for all SCs and PRs.

When MediShield was replaced by MediShield Life, the Government had given concession to a small number of foreigners with MediShield cover to continue their coverage under MediShield Life.

With the closure of CPF accounts for all foreigners on 1 April 2024, foreigners would need to pay by alternative means aside from their MediSave. For more information on how to change your payment mode, please Write to CPFB. If no alternative arrangements are made to continue paying premiums, the MediShield Life cover will be terminated without refund of past premiums paid.

Only family members related by blood, marriage and/or legal adoption, (e.g. spouse, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins and in-laws) and who live at the same residence are considered members of your household.

Domestic helpers, unrelated tenants, godparents and friends living at the same address are not considered members of your household. Family members not living at your address are not considered members of your household.

To view or update the household information used to compute your Premium Subsidies, log in to the Household Check e-Service.

The Annual Value (AV) of HDB properties generally falls below $21,000, while some lower-value private properties have AV between $21,000 and $25,000.

You can find out about the AV of your residence from IRAS e-Valuation List at a nominal fee. You may also check your property tax bill or log in to myTax.iras.gov.sg.

Immediate family members refer to parents, spouse and children who is/are related to the Main Applicant by blood, marriage and/or legal adoption, but does not refer to siblings.

To apply for suspension of MediShield Life premium collection, please complete the application form. When submitting your application, please ensure that your application form is duly completed with the necessary supporting documents uploaded. If you face any difficulty submitting the online application, please write to us. 

Medisave can be used to pay for premiums of Integrated Shield Plans (IPs), subject to Additional Withdrawal Limits. All IPs are required to have co-payment features such as deductibles and co-insurance, similar to MediShield Life. The co-payment can be paid for using Medisave, up to the prevailing withdrawal limits which are set to be sufficient for subsidised care.

Co-payment is an important feature in healthcare insurance to mitigate the risk of over-consumption and over-servicing which in turn could lead to escalation in healthcare costs and insurance premiums for all Singaporeans. Hence, riders that cover co-payments fully and allow policy holders to have zero co-payments are considered as separate products from IPs and their premiums cannot be paid using Medisave.

Medisave savings are intended to be sufficient for basic healthcare needs.  We need to be careful about expanding the use of Medisave, as Singaporeans need to ensure that they have sufficient savings for healthcare expenses over their lifetime, especially after retirement. Supporting more uses will mean higher contribution rates are required.

To ensure that Singaporeans with greater needs continue to receive support, the Government increased the AV thresholds used across social support schemes, including MediShield Life with effect from 1 January 2024, as follows:

The new AV criteria would be applied to relevant healthcare schemes that uses AV as a means-testing criteria. More information on the eligibility criteria for different healthcare schemes can be found on their respective websites.

All Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, including the very old and those who have pre-existing conditions.

Please click here for more information.

MediShield Life is sized for subsidised treatment in public hospitals and pegged at B2/C-type wards. If you choose to stay in an A/B1-type ward or in a private hospital, you are still covered by MediShield Life. However, you will find that your MediShield Life payout will cover only a small proportion of your bill. You would need to draw from MediSave and/or cash to pay the balance.

Please click here for more information on how to make a MediShield Life Claim.

Please click here to read more on MediShield Life Benefits.

If you plan to use an A/B1-type ward in a public hospital or go to a private hospital for your future hospitalisations, you can consider purchasing a MediSave-approved private Integrated Shield Plan (IP), an insurance plan that comprises:

• MediShield Life
• Private insurance coverage providing additional benefits and coverage (e.g. to cover the costs of private hospitals or A/B1-type wards in the public hospitals).

If you have an IP, you are already covered by MediShield Life. The premiums you pay to your private insurer already include the premiums for the MediShield Life component.

Please click here for more information.