Qualification and inclusion of Singaporeans in CHAS

16 September 2013

Question No. 1495

Name of Person:  Ms Foo Mee Har

Question

To ask the Minister for Health if he can provide more details on the qualification and inclusion of Singaporeans under the age of 40 years in the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) and whether the qualification can be simplified by using a pre-approval process in order to bring those who need help onto the scheme as quickly as possible.

Answer

1        From 1 January 2014, the qualifying age for the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) (40 years old and above) will be removed. This will allow Singaporeans of all ages in lower- and middle- income households to access subsidised care at private General Practitioner (GP) clinics and dental clinics near their homes.

2        For existing Health Assist cardholders who have family members in their household who are 40 years and below, we will automatically include their family members into the scheme with effect from 1 January 2014. They will receive their Health Assist cards from 26 December 2013 onwards.

3        For younger households who only meet the revised criteria now, they can already start to apply for the scheme. Each household will only need to submit one application form, which is available at Restructured Hospitals, Polyclinics, Community Centres and Clubs (CCs) or Community Development Councils (CDCs) and they can also download the forms from the CHAS website www.chas.sg.  We will also work with grassroots organisations to reach out to needy households in the community to help them apply for the scheme.