$180 million of MediSave Top-ups for Pioneers in 2018
11 Jun 2018
1 In the coming week, Pioneers will receive letters informing them of their Pioneer Generation MediSave top-ups for 2018, which will be credited in July. This forms part of the Pioneer Generation Package to thank and honour our Pioneers for their hard work anddedication to make Singapore what it is today.
MediSave Top-Ups for Pioneers
2 The amount of Pioneer Generation MediSave top-up for each Pioneer is between
$200 to $800 annually for life, which will cost about $180 million in 2018. This will be the fifth year Pioneers are receiving their MediSave top-ups since the launch of the Pioneer
Generation Package in 2014. The breakdown is as follows:
| Year of Birth | Age in 2018 | Amount |
| Born in 1934 and earlier | 84 and above | $800 |
| Born in 1935 – 1939 | 79 – 83 | $600 |
| Born in 1940 – 1944 | 74 – 78 | $400 |
| Born in 1945 – 1949 | 69 – 73 | $200 |
3
The Pioneer Generation MediSave top-ups come in addition to the MediSave
top-ups for Singaporeans aged 65 and above in 2018 under the GST Voucher Scheme
[1]. Both of these are permanent schemes, disbursed yearly in July and August respectively. Silver Generation Ambassadors (formerly known as Pioneer Generation Ambassadors) have reached out to more than 427,900 seniors aged 65 and above, including Pioneers, to explain key government policies including the Pioneer Generation MediSave top-ups. Below is anillustration on the amount of MediSave top-ups Pioneers can receive this year:
An older Pioneer who is 85 this year, who lives in an HDB flat and does not own a
second property, will receive a total of $1,250 in MediSave top-ups this year ($800
Pioneer Generation MediSave top-up and $450 GST Voucher – MediSave).
A younger Pioneer who is 69 this year, and in similar circumstances as the first
example, will receive a total of $450 in MediSave top-ups this year ($200 Pioneer
Generation MediSave top-up and $250 GST Voucher – MediSave).
[1] Pioneers, aged 69 and above in 2018, get Pioneer Generation MediSave top-ups on top of the GST Voucher scheme. The amount of GST Voucher – MediSave that a Singaporean can receive is dependent on age (i.e. aged 65 and above), Annual Value (AV) of place of residence, and the number of properties owned. More information can be found at https://www.gstvoucher.gov.sg. On the other hand, the amount of Pioneer Generation MediSave top-up that a Pioneer can receive depends only on the year of birth. A Pioneer will receive the same amount of top-up annually, regardless of the AV of home or the number of properties owned.
4 Pioneers may use these MediSave top-ups to pay for their MediShield Life premiums and other MediSave-approved insurance plans, hospitalisation, day surgery, and approved outpatient treatments.
Pioneer Generation Appeals Panel
5 The Pioneer Generation Appeals Panel, which considers citizenship-related appeals, has been renewed for a third term until May 2020. It continues to be chaired by Mr Timothy James de Souza, with Mr James Koh Cher Siang as Deputy Chairman. Please see Annex A for the updated list of Panel members. As of May 2018, 1,846 seniors have successfully appealed and been granted the Pioneer Generation Package.
| S/N | Name | Designation |
| 1 |
Mr Timothy James de Souza,PJG,BBM,PPA(P), PBM |
Chairman Member of the Presidential Council of Minority Rights and People’s Association (PA) Board |
| 2 |
Mr James Koh Cher Siang, PJG, PPA(E) |
Deputy Chairman Independent Director of United Overseas Bank (UOB), formerChairman of the Housing Development Board (HDB) and them Governing Board for the Mechanobiology Research Centre of Excellence |
| 3 | Mr Teo Yock Ngee, PBM |
Member Former General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE), former Secretary for Financial Affairs of National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) |
| 4 |
Mrs Deby Sarojiuy Pala Krishnan, PB |
Member Consultant of Community Care Services at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and Board Member of the Home Nursing Foundation (HNF) |
| 5 |
Mr Cheong Khim Teck, JP, BBM, PBM |
Member Honorary Chairman of Marsiling CCC and Justice of the Peace |
| 6 | Mr Surjit Singh, JP, PBM |
Member Member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights and Chairman of the Sikh Advisory Board |
| 7 |
Ms Lim Soo Hoon, PPA(E), PPA(P) |
Member (new) Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and former Permanent Secretary of Finance, Public Service Division and Community Development |
| 8 |
Mdm Fatimah Azimullah, PBM |
Member (new) Advisor at Singapore Muslim Women’s Association (PPIS), Member of Board of Trustees of Tabung Amal Aidilfitri (TAA), former President of PPIS and former Board Member of Mendaki |
| 9 |
Mr Benett Theseira, JP, PBM |
Member (new) Managing Director, Head of Asia Pacific of PGIM Real Estate and former President of the Eurasian Association (EA) |
| 10 | Mr Lim Jim Koon |
Member (new) Adjunct Professor at the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and former Editor-in-Chief of Chinese Media in Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) |
Issued by the Ministry of Finance
Singapore
11 June 2018
Published on : 11 Jun 2018