MediSave Care is a long-term care scheme which was launched on 1 October 2020. Under MediSave Care, Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 30 and above who have developed severe disability will be able to make monthly cash withdrawals from their own and/or their spouse’s MediSave for their long-term care needs.

After setting aside a minimum amount to ensure adequacy for other medical expenses, Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents with severe disability will be able to withdraw up to a total of $200/month from their own and/or their spouse’s MediSave. The table below shows the MediSave balances and corresponding monthly withdrawal quanta. 

Table: MediSave Balances and corresponding Monthly MediSave Withdrawal Quantum for  Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 30 and above with severe disability.¹

¹ Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who have developed severe disability can withdraw from their spouse's MediSave Account  if they have insufficient MediSave balances, and their spouse has MediSave balances of $5,000 or more. Withdrawals from their spouse's MediSave will also be subject to the same MediSave balance thresholds. The total withdrawal from their own and/or spouse's MediSave is capped at $200/month.

MediSave Care is less applicable for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents below the age of 30 as they are significantly less likely to develop severe disability and need long-term care. They also tend to have lower MediSave balances based on employment history.

Those under the age of 30 who require assistance can tap on various support schemes such as subsidies for early intervention programmes under Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), and subsidies for therapy services at KK Women's and Children's Hospital and the National University Hospital, and means-tested Government assistance schemes such as the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) in meeting their long-term care needs.

Government-funded safety nets such as MediFund or ComCare can provide further assistance to Singaporeans who are unable to pay for their care even after Government subsidies and other means of support.

With MediSave Care, the Government is allowing cash withdrawals from MediSave for the first time. Hence, we have decided to start with a more cautious approach. Currently, MediSave Care only allows the applicant to withdraw from his/her own MediSave, supplemented by his/her spouse’s MediSave, for his/her long-term care needs. As the period that individuals could remain in severe disability can vary significantly, the period of withdrawal and amount withdrawn can be substantial. When coupled with other existing withdrawals, allowing those with severe disability to tap on their children’s MediSave for withdrawals could potentially impact their children’s MediSave adequacy and compromise their ability to afford their own healthcare needs. Similarly, allowing MediSave Care withdrawals from the parents of those with severe disability could affect the elderly’s ability to afford their own medical expenses in old age.

Singapore Citizens who are in need in need of financial assistance and have low MediSave balances may apply for ElderFund. If you remain unable to pay for the costs of your long-term care needs, there are additional forms of assistance such as MediFund and ComCare.

If you are eligible to apply for MediSave Care, you can only withdraw up to a combined total of $200 per month from your MediSave and/or your spouse’s MediSave.

Example

1. Husband applies to withdraw $200 monthly from his own MediSave. That is the total maximum withdrawal limit allowed from his and his spouse’s MediSave.

2. If the husband has $12,000 in his MediSave, he is eligible to withdraw $100 monthly from his own MediSave. If his wife’s MediSave balance is at least $10,000, he can apply to withdraw an additional $100 monthly from his wife’s MediSave. The total monthly MediSave Care withdrawal from his and his spouse’s MediSave add up to a maximum of $200.

MediSave Balances and corresponding Monthly Withdrawal Quantum

MediSave is primarily designed to help Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents put aside sufficient savings for their hospitalisation expenses and selected outpatient treatments such as cancer treatments that are more expensive in nature.

The minimum MediSave balance of $5,000 set aside by MediSave Care is to help individuals maintain some savings to pay for their other healthcare bills. 

The monthly cash withdrawal quantum is based on your MediSave balance, or the maximum withdrawal amount that you set when applying for MediSave Care (whichever is lower). 

MediSave Balances and corresponding Monthly Withdrawal Quantum

If you have received voluntary cash contribution from family members or Government top-ups, and the MediSave balance is in the higher tier once again, your corresponding withdrawal quantum will automatically increase.

The MediSave Account is used for healthcare purposes, such as paying for hospitalisation expenses, approved outpatient medical care and approved medical insurance premiums.

The Central Provident Fund (CPF) is a social security system that allows members to set aside savings for retirement. The Ordinary Account is for housing, insurance, investment and education purposes. The Special Account is for retirement income and retirement-related investments.

If you are a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident with severe disability, you can make MediSave withdrawals under MediSave Care from your own and your spouse’s MediSave.

If you are not a Singapore Citizen or a Permanent Resident and have developed severe disability, your application to make withdrawal from your own and/or your spouse’s MediSave under MediSave Care will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

To apply for MediSave Care, you should submit an application to the Agency for Integrated Care, and arrange for disability assessment by a MOH-accredited severe disability assessor.

The minimum MediSave Account balance of $5,000 under MediSave Care is carefully set to help individuals maintain some savings to pay for for their healthcare bills.

If you have depleted your MediSave account, you may tap on your spouse's MediSave for long-term care withdrawals, and your family members' MediSave for your other healthcare treatments.

You may also apply for other forms of assistance such as means-tested Government assistance schemes (ElderFund, Home Caregiving Grant) to meet your long-term care costs needs. If you are still unable to pay for your care even after Government subsidies and other means of support, there are other forms of assistance such as MediFund and ComCare.

The Government encourages individuals to review their severe disability insurance coverage carefully to ensure that they have adequate financial protection against severe disability, especially in old age.

Due to the personal savings nature of MediSave, there are no benefits of risk-pooling like CareShield Life, and the withdrawals are constrained by the savings over the working years. The withdrawal limit of $200 under MediSave Care was set to ensure that there would be enough MediSave set aside for other medical purposes such as hospitalisation expenses and selected outpatient treatments which MediSave is primarily designed for.

Government-funded safety nets such as MediFund or ComCare can provide further assistance if you are unable to pay for your care even after Government subsidies and other means of support.

The Government will also review the MediSave withdrawal limits regularly to ensure that basic long-term care costs remain affordable for Singaporeans.

If you are a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident who is living overseas, you will be qualified for MediSave Care if you fulfil the following criteria:

a. Aged 30 and above.
b. Certified by a MOH-accredited severe disability assessor to have developed severe disability (i.e. unable to perform three (3) or more Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). You can find the list of MOH-accredited severe disability assessors here.
c. Have a minimum MediSave balance of $5,000.

Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who are aged 30 and above and have developed severe disability (unable to perform three or more Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)) can apply to make such withdrawals after setting aside a minimum amount.

You may submit an application to the Agency for Integrated Care and arrange for a disability assessment by a MOH-accredited severe disability assessor.

To apply for MediSave Care, you may submit an application to the Agency for Integrated Care, and arrange for a disability assessment by a MOH-accredited severe disability assessor.

The Government allows for cash withdrawals under MediSave Care, also known as MediSave Withdrawals for Long-Term Care, out of recognition that long-term care needs vary significantly across individuals. Allowing cash withdrawals will provide patients and their caregivers the flexibility to decide on their desired care arrangements and long-term care services.

Other existing MediSave limits cater to well-defined care episodes and treatments. MediSave is hence intended to directly pay providers for the exact cost of treatment incurred, up to prevailing withdrawal limits.

MediSave cannot be used to pay for the cost of the disability assessments. However, if you are applying for multiple severe disability schemes, such as CareShield Life and MediSave Care, you will only need to go for one disability assessment.

MediSave Care is jointly administered by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB).

The MediSave Account can be used for a wide variety of costly medical treatments (e.g. hospitalisation expenses, selected outpatient treatments), and MediSave Care. A higher withdrawal amount for long-term care would result in a faster depletion of MediSave Account balances, which may affect an individual’s ability to pay for other medical expenses in the future.

Instead, MediSave Care complements insurance schemes such as CareShield Life/ElderShield/Supplement payouts, existing Government subsidies, Government assistance schemes, community support and other personal savings and family support, to help individuals better meet their long-term care financing needs. In deciding the MediSave Care withdrawal amount, the Government took into account the basic long-term care costs for a range of services and settings, other sources of long-term care funding such as those mentioned before, as well as the need to balance withdrawal amounts with MediSave adequacy. 

Meanwhile, ElderFund is targeted at helping lower-income Singaporeans who cannot benefit from CareShield Life or ElderShield and have low MediSave balances to draw on for their long-term care needs.

In deciding the MediSave Care withdrawal amount for long-term care, the Government took into account the basic long-term care costs for a range of services and settings, other sources of long-term care funding such as Government subsidies and assistance schemes, community support, personal savings, family support and Government-funded safety nets, as well as the need to balance withdrawal amounts with MediSave adequacy.

The Government will continue to regularly review the healthcare financing framework, including MediSave withdrawal limits, to ensure that basic long-term care costs remain affordable for Singaporeans.

For other forms of assistance in managing your long-term care costs, you may wish to apply for Government support schemes such as CareShield Life and ElderFund. If you are still unable to pay for your care even after Government subsidies and other means of support, there are other forms of assistance such as MediFund and ComCare.

You will not be able to receive the unused amount in cash if you do not fully utilise your MediSave withdrawal limits for inpatient treatment.

Existing MediSave limits cater to well-defined care episodes and treatments. MediSave is hence intended to directly pay providers for the exact cost of treatment incurred, up to prevailing withdrawal limits.

Due to the personal savings nature of MediSave, there are no benefits of risk-pooling like CareShield Life and the withdrawals are constrained by one’s savings over one’s working years. The withdrawal limit of $200 under MediSave Care was set to ensure that there would be enough MediSave set aside for other medical purposes such as hospitalisation expenses and selected outpatient treatments which MediSave is primarily designed for.

The Government will also review the MediSave withdrawal limits regularly to ensure that basic long-term care costs remain affordable for Singaporeans.

The Government encourages individuals to review their severe disability insurance coverage carefully to ensure that they have adequate financial protection against severe disability, especially in old age. For other forms of assistance, you may wish to apply for means-tested Government assistance schemes such as the ElderFund, Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) in meeting long-term care needs. If you are still unable to pay for your care even after Government subsidies and other means of support, there are other forms of assistance such as MediFund and ComCare.

The Government recognises and encourages family members to support one another in healthcare and long-term care. Hence, Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents are already allowed to use immediate family members’ MediSave for hospital expenses and premium payments for MediShield Life, CareShield Life and ElderShield.

If you are a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident with severe disability, you can make MediSave Care withdrawals from your own and your spouse’s MediSave.

Non-Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident who wish to make MediSave Care withdrawals from your own or your spouse’s MediSave may be assessed on a case-by-case basis and subject to approval.

If you are a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident with severe disability, you can make MediSave Care withdrawals from your own and your spouse’s MediSave. Non-Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident who wish to make MediSave Care withdrawals from your own or your spouse’s MediSave may be assessed on a case-by-case basis and subject to approval.

You are not required to check your MediSave Account balances before submitting an application for MediSave Care. To be qualified for MediSave Care, you need to fulfil all of the following criteria.

a. Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident.

b. Aged 30 and above.

c. Certified by a MOH-accredited severe disability assessor to have developed severe disability (i.e. unable to perform three (3) or more Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). You can find the list of MOH-accredited severe disability assessors here.

d. Have a minimum MediSave balance of $5,000.

If your MediSave balance is more than $5,000, the withdrawal will automatically be made from your own MediSave first.

If your MediSave balance is insufficient (i.e. below $5,000) or you wish to supplement your MediSave Care withdrawals, you may apply to withdraw from your spouse’s MediSave. Your spouse has to be at least 30 years old, and his/her MediSave balance should also be more than $5,000 to be eligible for withdrawals. Similarly, there is no need for you to check your spouse’s MediSave Account balance before submitting an application. If you have previously submitted an application without applying to withdraw from your spouse’s MediSave Account, you would have to submit a new application.

To be qualified for MediSave Care, you need to be at least 30 years old and fulfil all the following criteria.

a. Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident.

b. Certified by a MOH-accredited severe disability assessor to have developed severe disability  (i.e. unable to perform three (3) or more Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). You can find the list of MOH-accredited severe disability assessors here.

c. Have a minimum MediSave balance of $5,000.

Withdrawals of up to $200 monthly under the MediSave Care scheme are in cash, and applicants can choose to utilise the cash locally or overseas for their long-term care needs.

Means-testing is not required. However, to be qualified for MediSave Care, you need to fulfil all the following criteria:

a. Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident.

b. Aged 30 and above.

c. Certified by an MOH-accredited severe disability assessor to have developed severe disability (i.e. unable to perform three (3) or more Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). You can find the list of MOH-accredited severe disability assessors here.

d. Have a minimum MediSave balance of $5,000.

If you wish to apply for any of the severe disability schemes, you need to undergo a severe disability assessment by a MOH-accredited severe disability assessor.  You may wish to check if your family doctor  (GP)/own doctor/healthcare professional is on the list of MOH accredited severe disability assessors. This can be found on the AIC’s website. If they are not, you will need to make an appointment with one of the assessors on the list for an assessment.

MOH-accredited severe disability assessors are Singapore-registered doctors, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and registered nurses who have undergone a rigorous training programme to assess a patient’s level of disability. 

For a list of the MOH-accredited severe disability assessors, please visit the AIC’s website.

While you are undergoing treatment in the hospital, your disability status may change, and this may impact your long-term care scheme application.  As such, we do not recommend the patients to attend the severe disability assessment while hospitalised.

Our focus is to accredit healthcare professionals in the community, including the GPs, and clinicians in the long-term care sector to assess individuals’ level of disability when their condition has stabilised.

The Government is looking into recognising equivalent assessments that have been performed by a qualified healthcare professional (doctors, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and registered nurses) providing care to the patient. In such cases, the patient need not undergo a separate severe disability assessment. Today, those who are staying in a nursing home can already approach their nursing home for assistance to submit the Resident’s Assessment Form in place of the severe disability assessment.

MOH and AIC will progressively roll out the use of such equivalent assessments and will make the information available via the MOH and AIC website.

Individuals with severe disability who wish to apply for MediSave Care will need to undergo a severe disability assessment by a MOH-accredited severe disability assessor. A trained, accredited severe disability assessor will be able to assess whether the applicant meets the severe disability criteria of being unable to perform three or more of the six Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). We have expanded the list of accredited assessors to include therapists and nurses who have been trained.

All MOH-accredited assessors have undergone a rigorous training programme to learn how to assess a patient’s level of disability. Through the training, assessors are equipped to assess an individual’s ability to perform the six ADLs, including specific components of each ADL to take into account, what factors to consider when an individual is cognitively impaired, and what should be done if any individual’s functional ability fluctuates over time. As this is a complex process, the training and accreditation is necessary to ensure that disability assessments are conducted with a high degree of rigour and consistency.

The Government is also looking into recognising equivalent assessments that have been performed by a qualified healthcare professional (doctor, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and registered nurses) providing care to the patient. In such cases, the patient need not undergo a separate severe disability assessment. Today, those who are staying in a nursing home can already approach their nursing home for assistance to submit the Resident's Assessment Form in place of the severe disability assessment.

MOH and AIC will progressively roll out the use of such equivalent assessments and will make the information available via MOH and AIC website.

You can arrange for the MediSave Care withdrawals to be paid directly to approved healthcare institutions such as nursing homes to offset your nursing home bill.