Pioneer, Merdeka generation seniors eligible for up to S$900 in MediSave top-ups in July
An elderly man pushing a pushcart across the street at South Bridge Road in Singapore on Feb 22, 2022.
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BY
RACHEL CHAN
Published June 9, 2023Updated June 9, 2023
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SINGAPORE — Pioneer generation and Merdeka generation seniors will receive MediSave top-ups in July, amounting to a total of about S$254 million, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Ministry of Health (MOH) in a joint press release on Friday (June 9).
Eligible Pioneer generation seniors will receive top-ups of up to S$900, while eligible Merdeka generation seniors will receive S$200.
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About 450,000 Pioneers and 500,000 Merdeka generation seniors have benefited from the top-ups since the respective packages were launched in 2014 and 2019 respectively.
The MediSave top-ups are provided in addition to the annual GST Voucher-MediSave top-ups given to eligible Singaporeans aged 65 and above.
MediSave can be used to pay the premiums for MediShield Life, CareShield Life, ElderShield and other MediSave-approved insurance plans, as well as medical expenses such as hospitalisation, day surgeries, and selected outpatient treatments, said both ministries.
HOW MUCH WILL YOU RECEIVE?
Pioneers will receive MediSave top-ups of between S$250 and S$900 each year."Additionally, older Pioneers (aged 84 years and above in 2023) who have serious pre-existing conditions will receive further top-ups of S$50 to S$200 per year from 2021 to 2025 to help them pay their MediShield Life premiums," the ministries said.
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The additional top-up was announced by MOH in December 2020, as part of its commitment "to keep premiums affordable for our Pioneers who have generally accumulated less MediSave than younger Singaporeans", they added.
The top-ups for Pioneers will amount to about S$160 million this year. The amounts are as follows:
With the enhancements, those aged 89 and above in 2023 "will continue to see their MediShield Life premiums fully covered", while those who are younger will have about two-thirds covered, said the ministries.
Eligible Merdeka generation seniors will receive S$200 in MediSave top-ups every year from 2019 to 2023, amounting to over S$94 million this year.
The Merdeka generation package was introduced in 2019 to support seniors in staying "active and healthy and provides them with greater assurance over their healthcare costs in their silver years", the ministries said.
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Pioneer Generation refers to those who were born on or before Dec 31, 1949, and became a Singapore citizen on or before Dec 31, 1986.
Merdeka Generation seniors include those who were born between Jan 1, 1950 and Dec 31, 1959, and became Singapore citizens on or before Dec 31, 1996.
The Merdeka Generation package also extends to Singaporeans born on or before Dec 31, 1949, became citizens on or before Dec 31, 1996, and who do not receive the Pioneer Generation package.
MEDISAVE TOP-UP NOTIFICATIONS
Seniors who have downloaded and completed their one-time setup on the Singpass mobile application will receive their top-up notifications in their inbox by June 20, informing them of the amount they would be eligible for.Those who have not done so but registered their mobile numbers with Singpass before June 11 will receive an SMS by June 20, notifying them of the amount they are eligible for. The rest of the eligible seniors will receive letters by the end of the month.
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Both ministries also cautioned the public to be careful of scams, noting that SMS notifications will be sent by MOF or MOH, and only inform seniors of their benefits.
They will also not be asked to reply or provide any information to the sender.
"No messages on Pioneer Generation Package and Merdeka Generation Package will be sent via WhatsApp or other mobile app messaging platforms," the ministries said.
More information on the packages can be found at go.gov.sg/pgpackage and go.gov.sg/mgpackage. CNA
