With the enhancements, those aged 89 and above in 2023 “will continue to see their MediShield Life premiums fully covered”, while those who are younger will have about two-thirds covered, said the ministries.
Eligible Merdeka generation seniors will receive S$200 in MediSave top-ups every year from 2019 to 2023, amounting to over S$94 million this year.
The Merdeka generation package was introduced in 2019 to support seniors in staying “active and healthy and provides them with greater assurance over their healthcare costs in their silver years”, the ministries said.
Pioneer Generation refers to those who were born on or before Dec 31, 1949, and became a Singapore citizen on or before Dec 31, 1986.
Merdeka Generation seniors include those who were born between Jan 1, 1950 and Dec 31, 1959, and became Singapore citizens on or before Dec 31, 1996.
The Merdeka Generation package also extends to Singaporeans born on or before Dec 31, 1949, became citizens on or before Dec 31, 1996, and who do not receive the Pioneer Generation package.
MEDISAVE TOP-UP NOTIFICATIONS
Seniors who have downloaded and completed their one-time setup on the Singpass mobile application will receive their top-up notifications in their inbox by Jun 20, informing them of the amount they would be eligible for.
Those who have not done so but registered their mobile numbers with Singpass before Jun 11 will receive an SMS by Jun 20, notifying them of the amount they are eligible for. The rest of the eligible seniors will receive letters by the end of the month.
Both ministries also cautioned the public to be careful of scams, noting that SMS notifications will be sent by MOF or MOH, and only inform seniors of their benefits.
They will also not be asked to reply or provide any information to the sender.
“No messages on Pioneer Generation Package and Merdeka Generation Package will be sent via WhatsApp or other mobile app messaging platforms,” the ministries said.
More information on the packages can be found at go.gov.sg/pgpackage and go.gov.sg/mgpackage.