About 300,000 Singaporeans born in 1949 or earlier, who are the Pioneer Generation, will get MediSave top-ups of up to S$1,100 in July 2024.

More than S$150 million has been set aside for this, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said on Jun. 7.

The top-ups are in addition to the annual MediSave top-ups for Singaporeans aged 65 and above, that fall under the GST Voucher Scheme.

MediSave can be used to pay for medical expenses, such as hospitalisation, day surgeries, and selected outpatient treatments, as well as the premiums for MediShield Life, CareShield Life, ElderShield and other MediSave-approved insurance plans.

Notifications

Eligible seniors who have downloaded and completed their one-time set up on the Singpass app will receive notifications on their eligible top-up amount by Jun. 11.

Those without the app but who have registered their mobile numbers with Singpass before Jun. 9 will receive an SMS by Jun. 11.

The SMS will not ask for a reply or any information and only inform seniors of their benefits.

Letters will be sent to the rest of the seniors by the end of June.

As part of scam prevention, no messages on the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation packages will be sent via WhatsApp or other such messaging platforms, MOF added.

Background

The Pioneer Generation Package was introduced in 2014.

It was to honour and thank senior Singaporeans for their contributions during the early years of the nation.

Since its introduction, those from the Pioneer Generation receive MediSave top-ups of S$250 to S$900 each year based on their birth year.

Those born earlier, who typically have accumulated less savings, get higher top-ups.

Those aged 85 and above in 2024, who have serious pre-existing conditions, receive further top-ups of S$50 to S$200 per year from 2021 to 2025 to help them pay their MediShield Life premiums.

Other special subsidies include those for outpatient care and for MediShield Life premiums.

Pioneers who join CareShield Life from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024, will receive participation incentives of S$3,000.

The amount will be spread evenly over 10 years and used to offset the annual premium to be paid in that year.

This is on top of any premium subsidies disbursed.

More details on the Pioneer Generation Package can be found here.

Those with queries can call 1800-222-2888 or 1800-650-6060, or e-mail [email protected].

Top photo via Unsplash