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All residents will benefit from MediShield Life

In the letter “How does MediShield Life work for nursing home residents?” (June 27), Ms Susan Goh asked about the relevance of MediShield Life to nursing home residents.

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Lim Bee Khim, Director, Corporate Communications, Ministry of Health

In the letter “How does MediShield Life work for nursing home residents?” (June 27), Ms Susan Goh asked about the relevance of MediShield Life to nursing home residents.

MediShield Life will cover all Singapore residents for life when it is implemented at year end. Those in nursing homes will benefit from its protection, should they require hospitalisation treatment or costly outpatient treatments such as dialysis and cancer treatment.

These costs would otherwise have to be borne fully by the nursing home resident and his or her family.

The MediShield Life Additional Premiums of 30 per cent for 10 years will apply to those who are now uninsured with serious pre-existing conditions or are insured but with exclusions.

This nominal additional sum does not reflect the actual cost of coverage, as the Government will pay the bulk of the cost of insuring those with serious pre-existing conditions.

The Central Provident Fund Board will ascertain who has pre-existing conditions and will inform them later this year.

The Government will provide subsidies to keep premiums affordable. Eligible nursing home residents will also benefit from these, including premium subsidies for lower- to middle-income households, transitional subsidies for all citizens and lifetime Pioneer Generation subsidies for pioneers.

For those who are needy and unable to afford the premiums even after subsidies, there will be Additional Premium Support. No Singapore resident will lose MediShield Life coverage because they cannot afford premiums.

Nursing home residents who are severely disabled and are insured under ElderShield, a separate insurance scheme that protects against severe old-age disability, will benefit from its cash payouts to help with the cost of their care.

We thank Ms Goh for her feedback.

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