Understanding about CPF Schemes

What is MediSave?

MediSave is a national medical savings scheme which helps CPF members put aside part of their income into their MediSave Accounts to meet their future personal or approved dependant’s hospitalisation, day surgery and certain outpatient expenses

What is MediSave?

MediSave is a national savings scheme which helps CPF members save for future medical expenses, especially after retirement.

Under this national savings scheme, you contribute a part of your monthly salary to your MediSave Account (MA). If you earn yearly Net Trade Income (NTI) of more than $6,000 as a Self-Employed Person, you will also need to contribute to MediSave

CPF allocation rates for private sector employee and public sector non-pensionable employees are shown above

CPF allocation rates for Self-Employed Persons are shown above

All Self-Employed Persons who earn an annual Net Trade Income (NTI) of more than $6,000 need to contribute to MediSave. Net Trade Income (NTI) is your gross trade income minus all allowable business expenses, capital allowances and trade losses as determined by IRAS

Where can I use my MediSave?

You can use your MediSave at ​all public healthcare institutions, and approved private hospitals and medical institutions (PDF, 0.2MB)

For a list of MediSave-approved clinics under the MediSave500 scheme, please visit the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) webpage

Who can I use my MediSave for?

You can use your MediSave savings for yourself or your approved dependants which include your spouse, children, parents, grandparents and siblings. They can be of any nationality, except for grandparents and siblings who must be Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents

What I use my MediSave for?

Your MediSave can be used to pay for medical care and hospitalisation expenses listed in the table below, up to the respective MediSave Withdrawal Limits. You can check with your hospital or healthcare provider for more details.

Can I use MediSave to fully cover my medical expenses?

MediSave Withdrawal Limits are generally enough to pay for the charges incurred by a patient staying in B2 or C ward types in a public hospital. If you decide to switch to another ward type or a private hospital, you may have to pay part of the bill in cash. It is therefore important to choose a ward or medical institution that you can afford

If you know your estimated medical charges, you may use MediSave/MediShield Life Calculator to estimate how much you can claim from MediSave and/or MediShield Life.

What if I don’t have enough MediSave to pay the medical bill?

You can pay the shortfall using cash. Alternatively, you may also use your spouse, children, parents, grandchildren and siblings’ MediSave savings for your medical bill. You must be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident to use your grandchild or sibling’s MediSave savings for your medical expenses. The total amount you can use from all MediSave Accounts is capped at the MediSave Withdrawal Limits.

Please approach the staff at the medical institution where you are seeking treatment for assistance with these options, or if you have other financial concerns.

Do I need additional coverage for large hospital bills since there is MediShield Life now?

MediShield Life replaced MediShield from 1 November 2015 to offer:

  • Better protection and higher payouts, so that patients pay less MediSave/cash for large hospital bills
  • Protection For All Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, including the very old and those who have pre-existing illnesses
  • Protection For Life

MediShield Life, which is administered by the CPF Board, is sized for B2 or C ward type stays. If you wish to have additional coverage for stays at private hospitals or for A or B1 ward types in public hospitals, you can consider enhancing with Integrated Shield Plan (IP) from private insurers

Singaporeans can pay for their MediShield Life premiums fully using MediSave. If you have an IP, there are Additional Withdrawal Limits (AWLs), you may use MediSave, up to a cap, to help pay the additional premiums for the private insurance component of IPs. The AWLs apply on top of the amount of MediSave used for MediShield Life premiums.

The AWLs are meant to ensure that you have enough MediSave for your other healthcare needs, and are pegged to your age:

  • $300 if you are 40 years old or younger on your next birthday.
  • $600 if you are 41 to 70 years old on your next birthday.
  • $900 if you are 71 years old or older on your next birthday.

You may refer to MOH’s website for more information on Additional Withdrawal Limits.

How do I apply to use my MediSave to pay for medical fees?

You should inform the medical institution that you want to claim from MediSave during billing, or when the patient is being discharged.

You will be asked to sign the Medical Claims Authorisation Form (MCAF), which authorises the institution to use your MediSave monies to pay the bill. After the payment has been processed, we will send you a MediSave Claims Statement, which shows:

  • the medical institution where the patient was admitted,
  • the name of the patient you have paid for, and
  • the amount deducted from your MA.

The medical institution should also:

  • inform you or the patient of the bill incurred,
  • confirm your name (the MA holder) with you,
  • inform you about the amount deducted from your MA, and
  • inform you and the patient about any outstanding bills to be paid.

You can refer to the list of participating hospitals and medical institutions under the MediSave scheme (PDF, 0.2MB).

What if someone passes away before signing the Medical Claims Authorisation Form (MCAF)?

Another person can sign the MCAF to pay the deceased CPF member’s last hospitalisation bill. This person can be:

  • the deceased’s spouse, parent or child who is at least 21 years old, or
  • a donee appointed by the deceased or deputy appointed by the court under the Mental Capacity Act

If the deceased does not have a spouse, parent or child who is at least 21 years old, or donee / deputy, a relative who has been taking care of the deceased may sign the MCAF, subject to approval by the Ministry of Health (MOH). The hospital will be able to help you obtain the approval from MOH.

Should I sign the Medical Claims Authorisation Form (Single) or (Multiple)?

To authorise the use of your MediSave and/or to make a claim from MediShield Life or your Integrated Shield Plan (IP) for your treatment, you must sign the Medical Claims Authorisation Form (MCAF) (Single Institution) or MCAF (Multiple Institutions).

The MCAF (Multiple Institutions) or MCAF(M) allows you to make a one-time authorisation for your current and future treatments at all participating Public Healthcare Institutions (PHIs), such as public hospitals and polyclinics for perpetuity until you revoke it. You may refer to the list of PHIs participating in the MCAF(M). By signing this form, you will not need to sign another authorisation form each time you want to use your MediSave, MediShield Life or IP at these participating PHIs.

If your treatment is at a private medical institution or you do not want to sign the MCAF(M), you may sign the MCAF (Single Institution) or MCAF(S). To enable you to have greater oversight over the use of your MediSave, MCAF(S) authorisation is only valid at the medical institution indicated. An MCAF(S) authorisation for an inpatient hospitalisation is valid only for that particular hospitalisation. For outpatient treatments, you can choose the duration of authorisation (e.g. single treatment, for a specified period, or for perpetuity until you revoke it).

You may revoke your MCAF(M) or MCAF(S) authorisations at any time. Please approach the medical institution if you wish to do so.

Where can I find more information on the Medical Claims Authorisation Form (Single Institution) or (Multiple Institutions)?

For more information on the MCAF, please visit Ministry of Health’s website

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