How it works
Every Citizen and PR is covered automatically. The very old are covered too, and so are people with pre-existing conditions. It pays towards:
- hospital stays and day surgery
- costly outpatient treatment that recurs, such as kidney dialysis, cancer drugs and radiotherapy
- stays in community hospitals and inpatient palliative care
Its benefits are sized for subsidised bills: Class B2 and C wards in public hospitals. A client in an A or B1 ward, or a private hospital, is still covered, but the bill is pro-rated first, so the payout covers a smaller share. Bills for PRs are pro-rated too.
Three things decide the payout. The claim limit depends on the treatment and the length of stay, and anything above it is the patient's to pay. The deductible is a fixed amount paid once a policy year before any payout. Then co-insurance takes a share of the rest, from 10% down to 3%, and the share is smaller on bigger claims. MediSave can pay what's left, within limits, and cash covers the balance.
Premiums are deducted from MediSave automatically, and a parent or spouse can pay from theirs. The government gives subsidies to keep them affordable. A client's own premium and subsidy are on their CPF Healthcare dashboard.
It doesn't cover everything. Treatment overseas and private nursing are among the exclusions CPF lists.
Worked example, with a made-up client: she has a knee operation and chooses a private hospital. MediShield Life still pays, but on a pro-rated bill, so after the deductible and co-insurance most of the cost is hers. The same operation in a B2 ward would leave her far less to pay. That gap is what an Integrated Shield Plan is for.
Where it shows up in your week
It comes up whenever a client asks "am I covered for this hospital?". The CRM keeps what they asked and what you sent them on one page, so the next review starts from there.
Related terms
Questions advisors ask
Sources
- Ministry of Health, MediShield Life: who's covered, B2 and C sizing, premiums from MediSave, last updated 20 February 2025, read 27 September 2026
- CPF Board, MediShield Life: the three kinds of benefit, page last updated 17 September 2026, read 27 September 2026
- CPF Board, What MediShield Life covers you for: claim limits, deductible, co-insurance, pro-rating and exclusions, read 27 September 2026