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Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong
Non-Constituency MP
Question No. 374
To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) cards have been automatically renewed for households that do not respond to the invitation letter for renewal; (b) whether these households receive the same subsidy tier upon automatic renewal; and (c) whether the Ministry allows for auto-renewal to the same subsidy tier for retired senior citizens with no change in their household situation.
Written Answer
1 A household’s eligibility for and level of subsidy under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) depends on their latest household income or property Annual Value, as well as household composition. To ensure that households receive the correct level of subsidies, households are requested to submit a renewal application form every two years so that we can verify and update their latest household information.
2 The Ministry of Health (MOH) seeks to make the renewal process convenient for CHAS cardholders. Households would receive a reminder letter about three months before their CHAS cards are due to expire. For those who do not respond, another renewal reminder letter is sent about one month before their CHAS cards expire. The renewal application form is included with the reminder letters. The application form is pre-filled based on our existing records, to make it simpler for households to update their household information.
3 MOH also works with partners such as the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) to publicise information about the renewal process, as well as to reach out and provide any necessary assistance to individuals and households who may not be familiar with the renewal process. The CHAS application form is also available online, and at various locations such as polyclinics, public hospitals and Community Centres.
4 We will continue to review the CHAS renewal process from time to time to ensure that it is convenient to the public and enables them to receive appropriate levels of subsidy based on their latest circumstances.