Home & health
What your MediShield Life premium is before and after the subsidy
The gross premium rises from S$637 at ages 41 to 50 to S$1,326 at 66 to 70, but subsidies of up to 60% depend on household income per person and your home’s Annual Value. How the tables combine, with the Ministry of Health’s figures.
In brief
- For policies starting or renewing from 1 April 2025, the gross MediShield Life premium is S$637 at ages 41 to 50 (age next birthday), S$903 at 51 to 60 and S$1,326 at 66 to 70, including 9% GST.
- Citizens in homes with an Annual Value of S$31,000 or less and household monthly income of up to S$3,600 per person can get premium subsidies, from 15% to 60%.
- Premiums can be paid in full from MediSave, and family members can take over payment.
MediShield Life is the basic health insurance that covers every Singapore citizen and permanent resident for life, including people with pre-existing conditions. Because it is compulsory and usually paid from MediSave, many people never look at the premium. That is a pity, because the number on the renewal notice can be very different from the headline premium for your age, and the difference depends on facts about your household that change over time.
This guide uses the Ministry of Health’s premium and subsidy tables to show how the gross premium is set, how the subsidies work and how they combine for a few illustrative households.
The gross premium: set by age
Premiums depend on your age next birthday. The schedule below applies to policies starting or renewing on or after 1 April 2025, and the amounts include 9% GST.
| Age next birthday | Premium | Age next birthday | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 to 40 | S$503 | 71 to 73 | S$1,643 |
| 41 to 50 | S$637 | 74 to 75 | S$1,816 |
| 51 to 60 | S$903 | 76 to 78 | S$2,027 |
| 61 to 65 | S$1,131 | 79 to 80 | S$2,187 |
| 66 to 70 | S$1,326 | 81 to 83 | S$2,303 |
Source: Ministry of Health, Premium and Subsidy Tables (Table A). Premiums for younger and older age bands are also published there.
The structure is deliberate. CPF Board explains that people pay slightly more while they are young and working, so that premiums rise less steeply later in life, and that those who pre-paid during their working years receive larger premium rebates when older. CPF describes the rebate figures it publishes as indicative and subject to adjustment.
The premium subsidy: income and Annual Value
The main subsidy is for lower- to middle-income households. MOH sets two gates. First, you must live in a home with an Annual Value (AV) of S$31,000 or less, and you must not own more than one property. Second, the rate depends on household monthly income per person and on your age.
| Age next birthday | Up to S$1,500 | S$1,501 to S$2,600 | S$2,601 to S$3,600 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 to 50 | 30% | 25% | 20% |
| 51 to 60 | 35% | 30% | 20% |
| 61 to 70 | 40% | 35% | 25% |
| 71 to 80 | 45% | 40% | 30% |
| 81 to 85 | 50% | 45% | 30% |
Source: MOH. Column headings are household monthly income per person. Homes with an AV of S$21,001 to S$31,000 receive 10 percentage points less; above S$31,000, no subsidy. Permanent residents receive half the citizen rates. Rates reach 60% above age 90.
Annual Value is IRAS’s estimate of the rent a home could fetch; we explain it in why two similar flats can get different property tax bills. Household monthly income per person is the household’s total gross monthly income divided by the number of people living together, the same measure used for CHAS cards.
Worked examples
| Household | Gross | Subsidy | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age next birthday 55, income S$2,000 per person, AV S$18,000 | S$903.00 | 30%: −S$270.90 | S$632.10 |
| Same, but AV S$25,000 | S$903.00 | 20%: −S$180.60 | S$722.40 |
| Same, but AV S$40,000 | S$903.00 | none | S$903.00 |
| Age next birthday 68, income S$1,200 per person, AV S$18,000, Merdeka Generation | S$1,326.00 | 40% + 5%: −S$596.70 | S$729.30 |
Invented households. Subsidy percentages from MOH Tables B and D, applied to the gross premium. Actual bills also reflect any premium rebate and Additional Premiums; your renewal notice and CPF’s Healthcare dashboard show the real figure.
Pioneer and Merdeka Generation support
Two cohorts receive extra help. Pioneer Generation members receive subsidies of 40% to 60% of premiums depending on age, per MOH Table C. Merdeka Generation seniors receive an additional 5% at ages 60 to 75 and 10% from 76, on top of other subsidies (MOH Table D). CPF Board’s own worked example shows the Merdeka subsidy added alongside the regular premium subsidy.
Good to know
People with certain serious pre-existing conditions are still covered, but pay a 30% Additional Premium for the first 10 years, according to CPF Board. After that they pay the standard premium for their age group.
Paying from MediSave, and when you cannot
MediShield Life premiums can be paid in full from MediSave. If your balance is not enough, you can top up MediSave in cash, and family members with enough MediSave can take over paying your premiums. CPF Board stresses that nobody should lose coverage because they cannot afford premiums: Additional Premium Support helps families who still need help after subsidies and MediSave. People who can pay but choose not to face interest, penalties and enforcement through IRAS.
The GST Voucher’s MediSave top-up for those aged 65 and above lands in the same account; see how the four parts of the GST Voucher work.
Who this matters for, and what to check
- Anyone whose household income has fallen, for example after retirement: you can update your circumstances through the MediShield Life e-Service so the right subsidy applies.
- Households near the S$21,000 or S$31,000 Annual Value lines: AV changes your subsidy band.
- Owners of more than one property: you are not eligible for the premium subsidy.
- Adult children paying for parents: check whether your MediSave can take over their premiums.
- Anyone with an Integrated Shield Plan: the plan includes the MediShield Life component, and your insurer tells you the combined premium.
The takeaway
The age band sets the starting point, but income per person and the Annual Value of your home decide how much of it you actually pay. For a household on modest income in a lower-AV home, the subsidy can take off a third or more of the gross premium; for one above S$31,000 of AV, there is none. Check the figures on your Healthcare dashboard once a year, especially after a change in income or home.
Official sources
- Ministry of Health, MediShield Life Premium and Subsidy Tables: premium schedule from 1 April 2025; subsidy, Pioneer and Merdeka Generation tables
- CPF Board, MediShield Life premiums and subsidies: MediSave payment, premium rebates, Additional Premiums, Additional Premium Support, family payment
General information
This article is sponsored information from Delta Management OÜ, the publisher of Gobasco (company details). Gobasco is a private, independent website. It is not a government website and is not affiliated with the Singapore Government, any ministry, the CPF Board, IRAS or HDB. It is general information, not personal tax, legal or financial advice, and it does not recommend any product or provider.
Figures are the official published amounts for the period stated or clearly labelled illustrations; what any one person receives or pays depends on their own circumstances and on the official assessment. This site processes no applications and charges no fees. Never give your NRIC number, Singpass details, bank login or one-time passwords to a website in response to an article. For your own position, use the official services of the agency concerned, on websites ending in .gov.sg.
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