Smart Parenting Series #3: How parents can utilise medisave for child's health protection?

1. Pay for Hospital Bills

Did you know parents can use their medisave to pay their children's hospital bills. Just bring along your NRIC/Passport or your CPF membership card. You will also need to sign a Medisave Authorisation Form authorising the CPF Board to deduct from your Medisave Account to pay for the hospital bill.

2. Pay for Pre-delivery Expenses

Parents can make Medisave claims of up to $900 for pre-delivery expenses such as pre-natal consultations, ultrasound scans, tests and medications, as well as for delivery expenses, incurred at both public and private healthcare institutions.

With the Medisave Maternity Package (MMP), parents can use their Medisave for (i) delivery expenses as well as (ii) pre-delivery medical expenses such as consultations and ultrasound. Under the MMP, you may withdraw up to $450 for each day in the hospital, plus $900 for pre-delivery medical expenses and an additional surgical withdrawal limit between $750 and $2,150 depending on the type of delivery procedure you undergo.

3. Medisave grant for newborn

To support parents with their children’s healthcare needs, the Government is creating a Medisave account for each Singaporean newborn.

All Singapore citizen newborns born on or after 1 January 2015 qualify for the enhanced $4,000 Medisave Grant for Newborns. Those born on or after 26 August 2012, but before 1 January 2015, qualify for a lower grant of $3,000. Eligible newborns will receive the Medisave grant automatically after the registration of birth. Parents do not need to apply for the grant.

This grant can help parents defray the costs of their child’s healthcare expenses, such as MediShield Life premiums, and the costs of recommended childhood vaccinations, hospitalisation, and approved outpatient treatments.

After the grant has been deposited into the child's Medisave account, parents will receive a notification letter to inform them of the deposit.

Parents of eligible newborns who did not receive the grant can contact CPFB (1800 227 1188 or member@cpf.gov.sg) to enquire.

4. Medishield life coverage from birth

MediShield Life is a mandatory basic health insurance that helps to pay for large hospital bills and selected costly outpatient treatments such as dialysis and chemotherapy for cancer. It is basic because it is sized for subsidised treatments in the public hospitals. All Singapore Citizen babies are automatically covered by MediShield Life from birth, including those with congenital and neonatal conditions, for life.

MediShield Life premiums may be fully paid from Medisave and parents will be able to tap on the Medisave Grant for Newborns to pay for their MediShield Life premiums. The Government will be providing significant support to keep premiums affordable (e.g. Premium Subsidies for the lower- to middle- income, Transitional Subsidies for Singapore Citizens to ease the shift to MediShield Life for the first four years). For those who are needy and are unable to pay their share of premiums even after subsidies, the Government will provide Additional Premium Support, to help them further with the payment of their MediShield Life premiums.