DATA ON MEDISAVE ADEQUACY AT AGE 65 ACROSS INCOME LEVELS AND PROPORTION OF LOWER-INCOME SENIORS AT RISK OF EXHAUSTING MEDISAVE BALANCES

NOTICE PAPER NO. 130

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 14 OCTOBER 2025

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Mariam Jaafar

MP for Sembawang GRC

Question No. 394

To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health whether the Ministry has studied (i) how Medisave adequacy at age 65 differs across income groups and (ii) what is the proportion of lower-income seniors who are likely to exhaust their Medisave balances before the end of life.

Answer

1          MediSave adequacy depends on individuals’ utilisation of MediSave, which can vary greatly depending on one’s lifespan and health status. It is not meaningful to study the adequacy picture at age 65 because much of the variation in healthcare needs happens later in life.

2          Lower-income individuals may save less in their MediSave accounts during their working years. This does not mean that they all have inadequate MediSave, as they also benefit from higher healthcare subsidies. There are also other initiatives to support them to build up their MediSave balances. For example, seniors with lower MediSave balances received a MediSave Bonus this year. They can also benefit from the Matched MediSave Scheme from 2026.

3          For Singaporeans who have exhausted their MediSave balances and face financial difficulties with healthcare expenses, there are safety nets such as MediFund in place at public healthcare institutions.  No one will lose access to appropriate healthcare due to an inability to pay.