Singaporeans are living longer. With longer life expectancy also comes the higher risk of disability as we are expected to spend more years in old age. Apart from encountering sudden disabling events such as having a stroke, worsening chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease are also common causes of disability. This increases the importance of planning for long-term care so we do not unnecessarily burden our families and caregivers.
The Government introduced various schemes to ensure the affordability of long-term care. These long-term care schemes are administered by Central Provident Fund Board and/or Agency for Integrated Care on behalf of the Ministry of Health.
CareShield Life and ElderShield are national long-term care insurance schemes that provide basic financial support should Singaporeans develop severe disability, especially during old age, and need personal and medical care for a prolonged duration (i.e. long-term care).
ElderShield was introduced in 2002 to provide payouts of $300/month for up to 5 years upon development of severe disability. It was subsequently reviewed in 2007 to provide better benefits of $400/month for up to 6 years. Please note that the ElderShield scheme is no longer open for new applications. More information about ElderShield can be found here.
CareShield Life was launched in 2020 and Singaporeans born in 1980 or later are automatically enrolled on 1 Oct 2020 or when they turned 30, whichever is later. Participation for Singaporeans born in 1979 and earlier is optional but those who have not developed severe disability are welcome to join CareShield Life here. Please note that there is no age limit to join CareShield Life and Supplements purchased on top of ElderShield remain valid even after you join CareShield Life. More information on CareShield Life can be found here.
Supplements for CareShield Life and ElderShield can be purchased from private insurers to increase coverage and payouts beyond the benefits offered by CareShield Life and ElderShield and more information can be found here.
Apart from CareShield Life and ElderShield, you may follow the links to find out more about Other Long-Term Care Financing Support (including ElderFund) and MediSave Care.
Common Questions on CareShield Life, ElderShield, Supplements, MediSave Care and ElderFund are also answered in our FAQs.
If you need further clarifications, you may call the Healthcare Hotline at 1800-222-3399. The operating hours are from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays), 8.30am to 5.30pm. Alternatively, you can also Write To Us.
Please note that the CareShield Life Team does not contact members to request sensitive personal information or engage any external agencies to call members on CareShield Life matters. The CareShield Life Team will not disclose members’ contact details to external agencies without members’ consent.
If you receive an unexpected phone call from someone who claims to be from the CareShield Life Team, please be vigilant and do not provide your sensitive personal information (E.g. Singpass ID/password, bank account or credit card details). When in doubt, you may end the conversation with the individual and check with the organisation which the caller claims to represent directly. To verify the authenticity of such calls, you can call us directly at 1800 222 3399 or Write To Us.