LAUNCH OF ADDITIONAL OUTPATIENT CARE SUBSIDIES FOR MERDEKA GENERATION SENIORS AND ENHANCED COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSIST SCHEME

           From 1 November 2019, Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) cardholders will receive enhanced subsidies at CHAS clinics. Merdeka Generation (MG) seniors can also receive additional subsidies for outpatient care at polyclinics, public Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs) and CHAS clinics. 

2.        With the enhancements, we expect the payouts for CHAS subsidies to increase to $200 million a year, up from the $152 million in 2018.

3.      Over the last few years, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has introduced several enhancements to uphold healthcare affordability and meet the healthcare needs of Singaporeans. We have introduced MediShield Life, a universal healthcare insurance scheme for all Singapore residents. The upcoming CareShield Life will enhance our longterm care support for better protection against severe disability as we age. In the outpatient setting, we have expanded Flexi-MediSave, as well as the Chronic Disease Management Programme to cover more chronic conditions. The latest CHAS enhancements and the MGP are part of these broader efforts to improve care for Singaporeans.

Enhanced CHAS4.     MOH has introduced enhancements to CHAS as part of our continued efforts to ensure primary care remains affordable for all Singaporeans, as well as to bring care closer into the community.

5.    From 1 November 2019, CHAS will be enhanced to provide better support for Singaporeans’ primary care needs:

i. New CHAS Green tier, which allows all Singaporeans with selected chronic conditions [1] to benefit from CHAS regardless of their income. CHAS Green provides up to $160 in annual subsidies for selected chronic conditions, and will be applicable to those with per capita household income greater than $2,000, or those whose annual value of home exceeds $21,000 (for households with no income). As of mid-October 2019, more than 100,000 Singaporeans have received their CHAS Green card.

ii. Increased Complex Chronic subsidies for CHAS Blue and Orange. CHAS Blue and Orange cardholders will enjoy additional chronic subsidies of up to $20 annually.

iii. CHAS Orange cardholders will now enjoy subsidies for common illnesses of up to $10 per visit.

The Merdeka Generation Package 

6.     The Merdeka Generation Package aims to encourage our seniors to stay active and healthy, and provide greater assurance with healthcare costs in their silver years. MG seniors have started to enjoy three benefits from July 2019:
i.  $200 MediSave top-up per year for five years from 2019 to 2023.

ii. Additional subsidy of 5% for their annual MediShield Life premiums, which will increase to 10% after they reach 75 years of age.

iii. One-time $100 top-up to their PAssion Silver cards.

7.      From 1 November 2019, MG seniors will receive additional subsidies for outpatient care:

i.  They will receive an additional 25% off their subsidised bills when they visit polyclinics and public SOCs. This is on top of existing Government subsidies that apply.

ii.  At CHAS general practitioner and dental clinics, they will enjoy special subsidies of up to $23.50 per visit for common illnesses, $520 in annual chronic subsidies and up to $261.50 per procedure for selected dental procedures.

iii. All eligible MG seniors will pay only $2 for screenings recommended under the Screen for Life programme, compared to up to $5 today.

8.    To support their long-term care needs, MG seniors will receive an additional CareShield Life participation incentive of $1,500 if they sign up for CareShield Life between 2021 and 2023. This is on top of the $2,500 participation incentive for other Singapore Citizens born in 1979 or earlier. This means that all MG seniors who join CareShield Life will receive participation incentives totalling $4,000 each.

9.      To enjoy MGP subsidies at CHAS clinics, MG seniors must present both their NRIC and physical or electronic [2] MG card. For visits to polyclinics and public SOCs, MG seniors will need to present only their NRIC as their MG status will be reflected in the system.

10.     Please refer to ANNEX A for the enhanced CHAS subsidies, including additional subsidies for MG seniors.

11.     To increase accessibility to the scheme and improve patient convenience, MOH has also simplified the CHAS application process. Singaporeans are now able to submit their CHAS application online at https://www.chas.sg/Apply. Since its launch in September, we have received more than 110,000 online applications.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
1 NOVEMBER 2019

[1] Refers to the 20 chronic conditions covered under the Chronic Disease Management Programme

[2] The electronic MG card can be downloaded via the Moments of Life app, with SingPass logon