Around 300,000 Singaporean seniors from the “Pioneer Generation” will receive government top-ups ranging from SGD300 to SGD1,200 (US$234-937) each in July for their contribution to the country in its early days.
The top-up amounts in the program, known as MediSave, are higher than the $250 to $900 provided last year, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on its website Monday.
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Retirees and elderly men gather around a game of checkers in Chinatown, Singapore November 22, 2012. Photo by Reuters |
The total amount of the top-up is more than SGD160 million.
The amount covers premiums for insurance plans, eldercare programs, and medical expenses like hospitalization, day surgeries, and certain outpatient treatments.
The top-ups are in additional to the annual vouchers that Singapore provides to citizens aged 65 and older.
The minimum age for eligible elders is 76 years old, and the oldest group of citizens (91 years and above) are set to receive the highest amount of SGD1,200.
Introduced in 2014, the Pioneer Generation Package aims to honor and thank Singaporeans for their contributions during the nation’s formative years.
Older Pioneers aged 91 and above will continue to have their MediShield Life premiums fully covered, while younger Pioneers will have approximately two-thirds of their premiums covered.
