Pioneer and Merdeka Generation Seniors to Receive $278 million in MediSave Top-Ups in July 2021

1. Pioneer Generation (PG) and Merdeka Generation (MG) seniors will receive MediSave top-ups totalling $278 million in July 2021.

2. MediSave can be used to pay the premiums for MediShield Life and other MediSave-approved insurance plans, as well as medical expenses such as hospitalisation, day surgeries, and outpatient treatments.

3. About 450,000 Pioneers and 500,000 MG seniors have benefitted from MediSave top-ups as part of the PG and MG Packages, since their launch in 2014 and 2019 respectively.

4. The PG and MG MediSave top-ups are on top of the annual GST Voucher – MediSave top-ups ^[1] for eligible Singaporeans aged 65 and above.

Eligible Pioneers will receive the enhanced MediSave Top-Up of up to $900 from 2021

5. From 2021, the Government will provide higher annual MediSave top-ups of $250 to $900 to all Pioneers, compared to $200 to $800 previously. Pioneers will continue to receive these annual top-ups for life. Additionally, older Pioneers (aged 82 years and above in 2021) who have serious pre-existing conditions will receive further top-ups of $50 to $200 per year from 2021 to 2025 (see Table 1) to help them pay their higher MediShield Life premiums. This was announced by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on 21 December 2020 as part of our commitment to keep premiums affordable for our Pioneers who have generally accumulated less MediSave than younger Singaporeans. The top-ups for Pioneers will amount to about $182 million this year. More information on the benefits of the PG Package are at Annex A.

6. With these enhancements, Pioneers aged 87 and above in 2021 will continue to see their MediShield Life premiums fully covered. Younger Pioneers will have about two-thirds of their MediShield Life premiums covered.

Eligible MG Seniors will Receive a MediSave Top-Up of $200

7. The MG Package, which was introduced in 2019, supports our MG seniors to stay active and healthy and provides them with greater assurance with healthcare costs in their silver years. This is the third year that MG seniors are receiving their MediSave top-ups. More information on the benefits of the Merdeka Generation Package are at Annex B.

8. MG seniors will receive $200 in MediSave top-ups every year from 2019 to 2023. The top-ups will amount to about $96 million this year.

More Information on PG and MG Packages

9. By end-June 2021, Pioneers and MG seniors will receive letters informing them of the details of their MediSave top-ups for 2021, which will be credited in July 2021. The letters will also inform them of other benefits they are eligible for under the PG or MG Packages.

10. More information on the PG Package and MG Package is available at www.pioneers.gov.sg and www.merdekageneration.sg respectively.

11. For clarifications, seniors may call or email:

a. 1800 2222 888 (PG and MG Packages); 1800 650 6060 (healthcare matters) or

b. contactus@pioneers.gov.sg / contactus@merdeka.gov.sg.

Issued by the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health

Singapore

21 June 2021

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[1] The amount of GST Voucher – MediSave that a senior citizen can receive is dependent on age, Annual Value (AV) of place of residence, and the number of properties owned. More information can be found at https://www.gstvoucher.gov.sg.

[2] The additional MediSave top-up is only applicable from 2021 to 2025.