SINGAPORE – The Government of Singapore announced on Friday that Singaporeans from the Pioneer and Merdeka generations will receive MediSave top-ups ranging from S$200 to S$1,100 in July. The move will cost the government S$254 million, slightly less than the S$270 million spent in 2022, according to a joint statement by the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health.
These top-ups can be utilised to cover the costs of MediShield Life and CareShield Life premiums, other MediSave-approved insurance plans, hospitalisation, day surgery, and approved outpatient treatments.
For each Pioneer, the MediSave top-up ranges from S$250 to S$900 annually. Singaporeans born between 1945 and 1949 will receive S$250, those born between 1940 and 1944 will get S$500, those born between 1935 and 1939 will get S$700, and those born in 1934 or earlier will receive S$900.
To alleviate the strain of increased MediShield Life premiums, Singaporeans aged 84 and above in 2023 with serious pre-existing conditions will receive an additional S$50 (for those aged 84 to 88) or S$200 (for those aged 88 and above) annually until 2025.
Launched in 2014, the Pioneer Generation Package honours Singaporeans for their contribution during the country’s early years. This year’s top-ups for pioneers will amount to approximately S$160 million.
The press statement also claims that the top-ups will fully cover Medishield premiums for those aged 89 and above in 2023, while younger pioneers will have around two-thirds of their premiums covered, authorities stated.
Meanwhile, the Merdeka Generation Package, introduced in 2019 for seniors born between 1950 and 1959, aims to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle and alleviate healthcare costs. Eligible individuals will receive S$200 in MediSave top-ups annually for five years from 2019 to 2023, amounting to over S$94 million this year.
Notices regarding top-up amounts will be sent to eligible seniors who have downloaded and set up the Singpass digital identity app by 20 June.
Those without the app but who registered their mobile numbers with Singpass before Sunday will receive an SMS notification by the same date. Other seniors will receive letters by the end of June. The authorities cautioned against scams, specifying that the notifications will solely inform seniors of their benefits and not request replies or additional information.
The ministries also stated that no messages about the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation packages will be delivered via WhatsApp or other messaging platforms. They confirmed that about 950,000 seniors have reaped the benefits of MediSave top-ups since the Pioneer and Merdeka generation packages were launched.
These top-ups are in addition to the annual MediSave top-ups for Singaporeans aged 65 and above, under the GST Voucher Scheme.
As of 31 March 2022, the Pioneer Generation Fund had disbursed only S$3.04 billion from a balance of S$6.16 billion, while the Merdeka Generation Fund had disbursed only S$0.72 billion from a balance of S$5.72 billion. The Pioneer Generation Fund and Merdeka Generation Fund were charged at S$8 billion in 2015 and S$6.1 billion in 2019 respectively as one-time expenditures for the fiscal years.
