More Medisave top-ups on Merdeka Generation’s wishlist

SINGAPORE — Taxi driver Lim Ee Teh, 66, usually spends between S$10 and S$20 when he visits the polyclinic for his monthly diabetes check-up.

Mr Lim, who is eligible for the newly-announced Merdeka Generation Package, learnt on Sunday (March 24) that he could soon be paying less for this visit. This was after he attended a briefing organised by the Silver Generation Office (SGO) at the ComfortDelGro’s Cabbies’ Carnival.

“I did not really know the full details of the package. I just knew that those born between 1950 to 1959 can get it,” said the cabby.

“But now I know that we can get a S$100 top-up for our PAssion Silver Card and that I will get a S$200 top-up to my Medisave account.”

Mr Lim, who previously did not qualify for the Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas), also said he was happy to hear that he was now eligible under the Merdeka Generation Package announced by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat at the Budget Debate last month.

To qualify for Chas subsidies, beneficiaries must have a household monthly income per person of S$1800 and below. For households with no income, the annual value of their homes must be S$21,000 and below. The subsidies are also available to those from the Pioneer Generation.

Under the Merdeka Generation Package, which is eligible to all Singaporeans born between 1950 and 1959, beneficiaries will be entitled to Chas subsidies from November regardless of their household monthly income per person or the annual value of their homes.

Beneficiaries of the package will also receive an annual topup of S$200 into their Medisave account under the Central Provident Fund (CPF) until 2023. They will also receive an extra 25 per cent discount on their bills at polyclinics and specialist outpatient clinics, on top of prevailing subsidies.

Taxi drivers whom TODAY spoke to were generally happy with the Merdeka Generation Package, although they hoped benefits could be expanded further down the road.

Mr Haniff Mahbob, 67, who has been a taxi driver for 30 years, was hopeful that additional Medisave top-ups could be provided to the Merdeka Generation even after 2023.  

“What would be most helpful is to increase the Medisave top-up as we get older. If (the Government) feels like it wants to top-up something into our CPF, it will be very welcome,” said Mr Haniff.

Mr Lim suggested that the package could also grant subsidies for gym memberships so that seniors could continue to lead an active lifestyle.

ENGAGING SENIORS AT THE WORKPLACE

The briefing for about 60 taxi drivers at ComfortDelGro’s Cabbies’ Carnival was the first workplace engagement session for the package organised by the SGO, which is the outreach arm of the Agency for Integrated Care set up by the Ministry of Health (MOH).  

Drivers were also able to find out more about the package at an engagement clinic on-site.

Speaking to media at the event, Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor said that it is more effective to engage the Merdeka Generation through their workplaces as half of its 500,000 beneficiaries are still actively working.

“Besides the traditional way our SGO has been engaging seniors — that is through home visits — to be more effective in reaching out to our Merdeka Generation, we need to adopt new approaches to engage them,” said Dr Khor.

She is also the co-chair of the 23-member Merdeka Generation Communications and Engagement Task Force.

She added that the SGO will conduct engagement sessions with 50 other companies, including Keppel Offshore & Marine, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and public sector organisations. Workplace engagements will run till the end of 2020 and “complement” on-going door-to-door visits by SGO ambassadors, added Dr Khor.

The SGO will also engage Merdeka Generation beneficiaries at “community nodes” such as hawker centres and faith-based organisations.

When asked if health benefits for the Merdeka Generation Package would be expanded over the next few years, Dr Khor said that the MOH would continue to review the healthcare financing system and various assistance and schemes available to ensure that healthcare remained affordable for Singaporeans.

Responding to a question on whether the younger generation of Singaporeans could expect a similar package in the future, Dr Khor said that the Merdeka and Pioneer Generation Packages were established to recognise “special groups” of people.

Pointing to the availability of healthcare assistance schemes as Medisave and MediShield Life, Dr Khor added: “The Merdeka and Pioneer Generation Packages sit on top of these schemes and it is for special groups of people to recognise them for their contributions as well as the circumstances that they were in then.”

“Compared to the younger generation, many may have stopped school earlier because of the circumstances (they were in) and their pay may have been lower. Some of the schemes that we have available now, (the Merdeka generation) only started benefitting from them much later in life.”

In contrast, the younger generation were likely to benefit from some of these schemes for a much longer time and would be better prepared for healthcare during their retirement, said Dr Khor.