A MediShield Life premium ranges from S$200 to $2,826 a year before subsidies, depending on age, and it can be paid entirely from MediSave. So can CareShield Life premiums. For most members the deduction happens each year without any action.
The questions worth understanding are how much is taken, who gets a subsidy, and what happens when MediSave does not have enough.
How the Premiums Are Paid
Both are national insurance schemes. MediShield Life covers large hospital bills for life, for all citizens and Permanent Residents. CareShield Life pays a monthly sum if you become severely disabled. Members born in 1980 or later are enrolled automatically, and older members can choose to join.
Each year, CPF Board deducts the premium from the MediSave of the person paying. About a month before renewal, the payer is told the premium and any subsidy in writing.
You do not have to be the payer for your own cover. CPF Board encourages family members with enough MediSave to take over a dependant’s premiums, and has a form to change the payer. An adult child often pays for a retired parent this way.
There is no withdrawal limit for either premium. Whatever the premium is, MediSave can pay it.
MediShield Life Premiums by Age
The schedule below applies to policies that start or renew on or after 1 April 2025, according to MOH’s premium table. Figures are yearly, include 9% GST and are before any subsidy.
| Age next birthday | Yearly premium |
|---|---|
| 1 to 20 | $200 |
| 21 to 30 | $295 |
| 31 to 40 | $503 |
| 41 to 50 | $637 |
| 51 to 60 | $903 |
| 61 to 65 | $1,131 |
| 66 to 70 | $1,326 |
| 71 to 73 | $1,643 |
| 74 to 75 | $1,816 |
| 76 to 78 | $2,027 |
| 79 to 80 | $2,187 |
| Above 90 | $2,826 |
The bands from 81 to 90 run from $2,303 to $2,785. MOH’s page has every band.
MOH cushions the April 2025 premium increase with Phased Support, given automatically to all citizens and Permanent Residents for two policy years from 1 April 2025. What you actually pay is shown under “Coverage and premium details” on your Healthcare dashboard.
Two adjustments can move your figure.
Serious pre-existing conditions. If you have a listed serious condition, you pay a 30% Additional Premium for the first 10 years. You are still covered.
Integrated Shield Plans. If you have one, your insurer collects a single premium that includes the MediShield Life part. MediSave pays the private part only up to $300, $600 or $900 a year, depending on age. Our guide to what MediSave can be used for explains the limit.
Subsidies on MediShield Life Premiums
Subsidies are applied automatically. You do not apply.
Lower- to middle-income households. MOH’s subsidy page gives these ranges for Singapore Citizens living in a home with an Annual Value of $21,000 or less:
| Monthly household income per person | Subsidy, rising with age |
|---|---|
| $1,500 or less | 25% to 60% |
| $1,501 to $2,600 | 20% to 55% |
| $2,601 to $3,600 | 15% to 40% |
For homes with an Annual Value of $21,001 to $31,000, the rates are 10 percentage points lower. Above $31,000, or if you own more than one property, there is no subsidy. Permanent Residents get half the citizen rate.
Pioneer Generation. Subsidies of 40% to 60% of the premium, regardless of income, plus yearly MediSave top-ups for life.
Merdeka Generation. An extra 5% of the premium, rising to 10% from age 76, on top of any income-based subsidy.
The exact rate for each age is in MOH’s table. As a simple illustration, a 40% subsidy on the $1,326 premium for ages 66 to 70 would bring it to about $796.
CareShield Life Premiums
CareShield Life works differently. Members born in 1980 or later are enrolled at 30. Premiums are paid yearly until 67, and cover then continues for life with nothing more to pay. Those who join at 59 or later pay for 10 years.
Premiums rise each year while you are paying. This is by design, because payouts rise too.
After the 2025 review:
- The monthly payout is $689 for claims made in 2026. It grows 4% a year to $806 in 2030.
- Yearly premium increases from 2026 to 2030 are held to about $38 on average, and no more than $75.
- The Government has set aside an additional $570 million over five years to support this.
Your own premium depends on your age, sex and when you joined. CPF Board does not publish a single table on its main page. The figure is on your Healthcare dashboard.
Subsidies are means-tested. For citizens in homes with an Annual Value of $21,000 or less, they are 30%, 25% and 20% for the three income tiers above. Permanent Residents get half.
For how the payout compares with real care costs, see what eldercare costs and where CareShield Life fits.
The short version: MediShield Life and CareShield Life premiums come out of MediSave automatically, with subsidies applied first. If MediSave runs short, you keep your cover, and family or Additional Premium Support can fill the gap.
What Happens If MediSave Runs Short
This worries people more than it needs to.
You do not lose cover. CPF Board’s wording is that no one needs to worry about losing MediShield Life because they cannot afford the premiums. For CareShield Life it says, “You won’t lose coverage if you can’t pay.”
The shortfall can be paid in three ways.
- Top up your MediSave in cash.
- Have a family member pay from their MediSave, or top up yours.
- Apply for Additional Premium Support, which is for those who cannot afford premiums even after subsidies and family help.
Choosing not to pay is treated differently. For those who can pay but do not, CPF Board says interest and penalties apply to outstanding MediShield Life premiums, and recovery action can follow.
Running short is most common late in life, when premiums are highest and contributions have stopped. A member aged 80 pays $2,187 a year before subsidies. Ten years at that level is more than $21,000, and the bands above 80 are higher.
That is one reason some members keep their MediSave near the Basic Healthcare Sum. Our guide to the MediSave top-up covers the saving side.
What To Do Next
- Open the Healthcare dashboard on the CPF website and note your MediShield Life and CareShield Life premiums after subsidies.
- Check that your household details are current, since subsidies are based on them.
- If you pay for a parent, compare their yearly premiums with their MediSave balance and decide whether to become the payer.
- If you hold an Integrated Shield Plan, find the cash portion on your renewal notice. It grows quickly with age.
- Project your MediSave balance with the CPF interest projector.
