CareShield Life is a long-term care insurance scheme introduced in 2020, that provides basic financial support should Singaporeans (≥ 30 YO) become severely disabled. This scheme is administered by the Singapore government.

ElderShield was the predecessor of CareShield Life. ElderShield was introduced in 2002 as a basic long-term care insurance scheme.

GREAT CareShield is a MediSave-approved supplementary plan to your CareShield Life or ElderShield scheme aimed to provide additional long-term care coverage in the event of a disability. It provides payouts and benefits starting from as early as the inability to perform just 1 Activity of Daily Living (ADL).

Yes. In order to be eligible to purchase GREAT CareShield, you will need to be insured under one of the following schemes:

• CareShield Life; or
• ElderShield 400/ElderShield 300.

There are a few ways to check on your coverage.

• Through the CPF Board’s website, the steps are:
  1. Visit the CPF website.
  2. Log-in using your Singpass.
  3. Hover on "my cpf" > Look out for the section "My dashboards" > Click on "Healthcare"
  4. Click on "My Messages"
     
     *This section will let you know, if you are covered under CareShield Life or ElderShield,
     *If you are not covered under ElderShield, the CPF website will not reflect any information on ElderShield.
• Through the CareShield Life website, the steps are:
  1. Visit the CareShield Life website.
  2. Log-in using your Singpass.

  You will see a screen that informs you if you are covered under CareShield Life or ElderShield.

MediShield Life is a basic healthcare insurance plan that protects all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents against large medical bills for life. Healthcare Insurance plans are different from long-term care insurance plans (which are focused providing you with a cash payout over a long period of time in the event of disability).

An Integrated Shield Plan (IP) complements your MediShield Life by providing you with an additional private insurance coverage component provided by your private insurer if you have purchased such a plan.

These are all different plans from CareShield Life or GREAT CareShield as they address different coverage needs.

No. GREAT CareShield may only be purchased if you have an existing CareShield Life or ElderShield 400 / ElderShield 300.

However, you can check if you are eligible and try to enroll for CareShield Life scheme by visiting www.careshieldlife.gov.sg/careshield-life/about-careshield-life.html

If you have successfully enrolled on CareShield Life, you can apply for GREAT CareShield.

*Note: ElderShield is no longer available for new enrolment

Yes, you can purchase GREAT CareShield to top-up your existing ElderShield supplement coverage.

If you intend to use MediSave funds to pay the premiums of GREAT CareShield, you need to be aware that the Additional Withdrawal Limit of S$600 per insured person per calendar year is shared across all ElderShield and CareShield Life supplementary plans.

No, the MediSave annual withdrawal limit of S$600 per calendar year is shared across all supplementary plans for CareShield Life and ElderShield.

Note: If you purchase GREAT CareShield (before your ElderShield supplementary plan renewal) using your MediSave funds, your renewal premium on your ElderShield supplementary plan may not be successfully deducted from your MediSave account.

If your premium is more than S$600 and you have chosen MediSave as one of your premium payment options, you will be prompted and offered other options to pay the balance:

• Credit card;
• Debit card;
• GIRO^{^};
• Cash^{^}; or
• Cheque/banker's order^{^};

Yes, you may use the MediSave funds of any of your following family members to pay for your GREAT CareShield premiums^#:

• Spouse
• Parents
• Siblings;
• Children; or
• Grandchildren.

^#You can only use your own MediSave funds if you purchase GREAT CareShield via the online sales portal. If you wish to use the MediSave funds of your spouse, parents, children, or grandchildren, please approach your Financial Representative. You must be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident.

Please note the following on Additional Premium Support (APS):

• Anyone who pays for, or is insured under GREAT CareShield is not eligible for Additional Premium Support (APS) from the Government*.
• If you are currently receiving APS to pay for your MediShield Life and/or CareShield Life premiums, and you choose to be insured under GREAT CareShield, you will stop receiving APS. This applies even if you are not the person paying for GREAT CareShield.
• In addition, if you choose to be insured under GREAT CareShield, the person paying for GREAT CareShield will stop receiving APS, if he or she is currently receiving APS.

*APS is for families who need assistance with MediShield Life and/or CareShield Life premiums, even after receiving premium subsidies and making use of MediSave funds to pay these premiums.

You may select a Monthly Benefit from S$300 to S$5,000# (in multiples of S$100).
This amount is in addition to the benefits under your CareShield Life or ElderShield.

^# Please note the maximum Monthly Benefit per Life Assured aggregated across your existing LifeSecure and/or ElderShield Comprehensive plan(s), if any, including your GREAT CareShield, shall not exceed S$5,000.

No, your premiums are level throughout the premium payment term chosen and do not increase as you get older. However, please note that premium rates are not guaranteed and may be adjusted based on future experience of the plan.

GREAT CareShield provides coverage for life as long as your premium obligations are being fulfilled.

The premiums for GREAT CareShield are payable on an annual basis. Depending on your entry age (at last birthday), the selectable premium terms are as follows:

If you are 30 to 47 (age last birthday) when you purchase GREAT CareShield -
Up to and including the Policy Anniversary when you are 67 or 95 (age last birthday)

If you are 48 to 64 (age last birthday) when you purchase GREAT CareShield -
Up to and including the Policy Anniversary when you are 95 (age last birthday) or 20 Years

No, you will not be able to change your premium payment term after your policy coverage has commenced.

You do not need to go for a medical examination if your selected Monthly Benefit is S$3,000 and below. For Monthly Benefit between S$3,100 and S$5,000, you will be required to undergo a medical examination^#.

^# If you hold other Great Eastern long-term care products such as LifeSecure and ElderShield Comprehensive and the aggregated Monthly Benefit for GREAT CareShield and LifeSecure and/or ElderShield Comprehensive exceeds S$3,000, you will be required to undergo a medical examination.

To declare your medical conditions, you can either contact your Financial Representative or leave your contact details here.

Depending on your mode of payment, the commencement date of your policy will vary:

By using MediSave funds as your payment option:

• The review of your application will take up to 3 working days. Your policy will commence once approved.
• Thereafter, Great Eastern will proceed to deduct the premium from your MediSave account which may take up to 4 weeks from your purchase date.
• If your MediSave funds and withdrawal limit are sufficient to cover your annual premiums, the policy document will be sent to you.
• If your MediSave funds and/or withdrawal limit are insufficient to cover your annual premiums and if you have not selected another payment option, Great Eastern will send you instructions, by mail, on how to settle any remaining balance. Once full payment is received, the policy documents will be sent to you.
• If full payment is not received, your policy will lapse according to the terms of the policy.

By credit card, debit card, GIRO, cash or cheque/banker’s order only:

• The review of your application will take up to 3 working days. Your policy will commence once approved.
• Thereafter, Great Eastern will process your payment. Once full payment is received, the policy documents will be sent to you.
• If full payment is not received, your policy will lapse according to the terms of the policy.

Please note that:

• You may receive your policy documents after the commencement date.
• Subject to the terms and condition of the policy, in the event that you are diagnosed with a disability after the commencement date of your policy but before Great Eastern have received full payment of your first annual premiums, Great Eastern will not pay any benefits until the full payment of your first annual premiums is received.

Yes. Great Eastern will not pay any benefits for any Disability resulting from:
(a) The Life Assured’s deliberate acts that endanger his/her life, such as self-injury, suicide or attempted suicide, while sane or insane;
(b) Alcoholism or drug addiction;
(c) War (whether declared or not), invasion, rebellion, revolution, civil war or any warlike operations; and
(d) Pre-existing Conditions.

“Pre-existing Condition” refers to:
(a) Any illness, disease, disability, defect or impairments (“Condition”) from which the Life Assured was suffering prior to the Cut-Off Date^#; or
(b) Any Condition of which signs or symptoms had existed in the 12 months immediately preceding the Cut-Off Date#, for which:

• (i) the Life Assured has sought or received medical advice or treatment, prescription of drugs, counselling, investigation or diagnostic tests, surgery, hospitalization; or
• (ii) an ordinarily prudent person would have sought medical advice or treatment, prescription of drugs, counselling, investigation or diagnostic tests, surgery, hospitalization,

unless such Condition was declared to Great Eastern and no exclusion of the same was imposed by Great Eastern, regardless of whether any claim had previously been made in respect of such Condition.
^# “Cut-Off Date” refers to (1) the Commencement Date, (2) date of reinstatement of the Policy or, (3) date of change of benefits under this Policy, whichever is applicable.

In the event of a claim, please get your family member(s) to visit here to have a guided process.

Depending on the severity of disability, Great Eastern will review medical information available and advise you or family member(s) to arrange for periodic assessment/review, where applicable.
If the disability has worsened from the inability to perform 1 Activity of Daily Living (ADL) to the inability to perform 2 ADLs, you will receive start receiving 100% of the Monthly Benefit (instead of 50% of the Monthly Benefit under 1 ADL), the Caregiver Benefit and Dependant Care Benefit (if relevant conditions are met).

Yes. However, once you have reached the age of 61 years (age last birthday) on a policy anniversary, and your GREAT CareShield has been in force for a period of at least 10 years, the policy shall not lapse for non-payment of a renewal premium. Instead, your policy will be converted into a paid-up policy with a reduced Monthly Benefit and without the need for you to pay any more premiums.
Otherwise, the policy shall lapse for non-payment of a renewal premium.

You may cancel the policy by submitting a written notice of cancellation to Great Eastern. This policy will end on the date of cancellation as advised in your notice of cancellation or date of our receipt of the notice of cancellation, whichever is later (“Effective Date of Cancellation”).
If the Effective Date of Cancellation falls within 60 days after you receive the policy which first informs you of the commencement date (“Free-Look Period”), Great Eastern will refund you the premiums you have paid, less any medical fees and other expenses, such as payments for medical check-ups and medical reports, incurred by Great Eastern. If the Effective Date of Cancellation falls after the Free-Look Period, you will lose all of your premiums paid.