Who are eligible? What are the benefits? How can I receive the subsidies? Everything you need to know about the benefits of the Merdeka Generation is here.
If you are a Singaporean that's considered a member of the Merdeka generation, then you are eligible to receive subsidies from the government. Since a lot of senior citizens experience health issues and medical conditions, they often require clinical treatments and hospitalizations which are very costly. With that said, Singapore established various financial assistance methods for them. This includes the Merdeka generation benefits.
The Merdeka Generation package was first introduced in budget 2019. The purpose of this is for the government to motivate senior citizens to maintain an active and healthy life. It's common knowledge that aging comes with some challenges and complications as to which people are forced to deal with. However, especially with health-related issues and medical bills, seniors may need all the support that they can get.
Through the Merdeka Generation Package, the generation of Singaporeans born in the 1950s and 1960s will receive benefits to aid their healthcare needs.
You will only become eligible for the Merdeka Generation Package if you are indeed a member of that generation. To determine if you are, you must be any of the following:
If you want to check your eligibility for the Merdeka Generation Package, you may do so by logging onto here.
As part of the Merdeka Generation Package, here are the benefits that you can experience and enjoy:
This pertains to a cash payout amounting to $100 that will be directly transferred to the designated bank accounts of Merdeka Generation members. This will be given along with the Care and Support Cash payout. Originally, this benefit was meant to be a $100 Passion Silver Card Top-up but was converted into a cash payout.
Singaporeans that reach the age of above 60 are eligible for this. The benefits include the ff.:
Merdeka Generation members have the privilege to receive $200 every year in MediSave top-ups from 2019 to 2023. This will be credited to their MediSave accounts. Once they have received the subsidies, they can use this to pay for MediShield Life premiums, including other MediSave-approved insurance plans, outpatient treatments, surgeries, and hospitalizations.
Another great benefit that Merdeka generation seniors can get is receiving additional subsidies for outpatient care which applies to the ff.:
This will significantly lessen the burden on their shoulders when it comes to paying for healthcare expenses.
All Merdeka Generation cardholders are eligible to receive CHAS subsidies. The Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) is dedicated for Singaporeans to get subsidies from participating CHAS dental and general practitioner (GP) clinics.
Seniors can receive subsidies up to $261.50 per procedure in selected dental procedures at CHAS dental clinics. They can also enjoy up to $23.50 of subsidies per visit at CHAS GP clinics and $520 in annual chronic conditions subsidies. Furthermore, health screenings at Screen For Life have a fixed fee of $2 for the cardholders.
Merdeka Generation cardholders will also obtain an additional 25% off their remaining bills for medications and subsidized services at polyclinics and public SOCs. If you want to qualify for additional subsidies at public SOCs, you must undergo an assessment and get a referral at a CHAS clinic first.
CareShield Life is a long-term care insurance scheme that aims to provide basic financial support to Singaporeans who have severe disabilities. If Merdeka Generation members choose to join CareShield life between 2021 and 2023, they will receive a participation incentive amounting to $1,500 with a total incentive of $4,000 to balance out the annual premium payable that year.
The individuals who are qualified to claim this benefit will obtain a cash payout of a minimum of $600 per month, for as long as they are severely disabled.
The MediShield Life health insurance scheme helps Singapore citizens to pay for extreme medical bills, hospital bills, and costly outpatient treatments. Merdeka Generation seniors aged 60 to 75 years old will receive an additional 5% subsidy for annual premiums, making their total amount of subsidies $390. Meanwhile, this increases to an additional 10% when you reach the age of 76 and above, making the total amount of your subsidies $918.
Getting old is not an easy process. There are definitely some situations and conditions that make it a stage that's difficult to face. However, with all the special subsidies provided by the government that's included in the Merdeka Generation Package—MediSave top-ups, MediShield Life Premiums, CareShield Life, subsidies at CHAS, and everything that supports health insurance—you know life can get a little bit easier. It's already difficult dealing with chronic illnesses or medical conditions, it would be such a huge relief to lessen your expenses because of them.
Take this as an inspiration to maintain living a healthy and active lifestyle. Honour and thank the ones who made the financial assistance methods possible by caring for yourself in the best ways you can. Age healthily, age happily!
A part of living healthily is providing the best care for yourself or your loved ones. If you're looking for the best place where seniors can receive personal care and assistance with activities of daily living, you can look into a nursing home alternative. Nursing homes are great facilities for the aged, but there are also other care homes where people living their silver years can receive the right amount of care while at the same time being able to do things or engage in activities they can be passionate about.
Red Crowns Senior Living offers a variety of senior living options to help aging adults live actively and healthily. For instance, there's assisted living for seniors who need help with basic self-care tasks. On the other hand, you can also opt for independent living services if your elderly loved ones can care for themselves but require assistance with more complex tasks in life.
Whatever seniors in Singapore need for a better quality of life, Red Crowns can provide it.
