Over $1.8 million of discounts redeemed to offset MediShield Life premiums
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MediShield Life is Singapore’s national basic health insurance plan that helps to pay for large hospital bills and certain costly outpatient treatments.
PHOTO: ST FILE
SINGAPORE – More than 54,000 people have redeemed discounts of over $1.8 million to offset their MediShield Life premiums, under a three-year pilot aimed at encouraging Singaporeans to actively adopt healthy lifestyles.
The discounts were offered from Sept 18, 2025, as part of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) efforts to promote preventive healthcare.
According to MOH, as at Feb 28, 31 per cent of those who have redeemed premium discounts are aged 50 to 59; 28 per cent are aged 40 to 49; and 26 per cent aged 60 to 69. MOH said the take-up rate of the pilot has been encouraging.
Ms Agnes Soon, a 60-year-old homemaker, has made four redemptions since October 2025. In total, she received $126 of discounts, a significant portion of the roughly $600 premiums she last paid.
“As a homemaker, I do not have much MediSave savings, therefore I prefer to save it to earn interest and use it for visits to specialist outpatient clinics or polyclinics,” she said.
MediShield Life is the national basic health insurance plan that helps to pay for large hospital bills and certain costly outpatient treatments, such as kidney dialysis and chemotherapy for cancer.
Under MOH’s pilot, Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 40 and above can use their Healthpoints in the Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) Healthy 365 app to redeem the premium discount.
Policyholders can use 75 Healthpoints to redeem a premium discount of $1, compared with other rewards, which require 150 Healthpoints to redeem $1.
Ms Soon said the double conversion rate for MediShield Life premiums was one of the key reasons why she decided against using her Healthpoints for other rewards, such as e-vouchers to use at some food outlets and supermarkets.
To earn Healthpoints, people can participate in healthy lifestyle programmes and challenges in the app, such as purchasing food and drinks with the Healthier Choice symbol, and meeting exercise and sleep goals.
Those who engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity for an average of 150 minutes each week and consistently over a year can earn enough Healthpoints to redeem about $70 worth of premium discounts.
Enrolling with a Healthier SG clinic and completing the first health plan consultation can earn a further $40 worth of premium discounts.
For those who manage to fulfil all tasks and challenges, they can redeem discounts of up to $580 in a year.
In addition, blood donors will be awarded Healthpoints from the second half of 2026. Details will be announced in June by the Health Sciences Authority.
For people aged between 41 and 50, the MediShield Life annual premium is currently $637, before government subsidies. The premium for those aged between 51 and 60 is $903, and premiums are higher for older cohorts.
Subsidies of up to 60 per cent are available for lower- to upper middle-income households. Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation seniors receive additional subsidies.
MOH shared that the vast majority (more than 90 per cent) had earned their Healthpoints solely through HPB’s programmes, while around 2 per cent exclusively from Healthier SG consultations. The remainder were rewarded through both sources.
After the premium discount has been redeemed, it will automatically be applied to the individual’s MediShield Life premiums at the next annual policy renewal.
MediShield Life premiums can be paid in full with MediSave and are automatically deducted from the MediSave accounts of policyholders each year.
As Healthpoints are valid for six months, MOH reminds policyholders to redeem their Healthpoints before they expire.
MOH said previously that it would review the results of the pilot after its conclusion, before deciding whether to make premium discounts a permanent feature of MediShield Life.
