What’s Changing for MediSave, MediShield Life, Dental and Long-Term Care in 2025

This post was originally posted on Planner Bee.

Singapore’s healthcare system will see major changes in 2025.

The government has announced wide-ranging reforms, including higher MediShield Life payouts, broader MediSave use, bigger dental subsidies, and stronger support for long-term care.

The aim is to keep healthcare affordable as costs rise and more patients need outpatient or home-based treatment. Demand is growing because of an ageing population, and care is steadily shifting away from hospitals.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has highlighted the need to adjust MediSave withdrawal limits and MediShield Life coverage.

Key dates in 2025

• 1 April 2025: MediShield Life enhancements and higher newborn MediSave grant
• Mid-2025: Launch of National Mental Health Helpline & Textline
• Q3 2025: Healthy 365 premium-discount pilot begins
• Q4 2025: CHAS dental subsidy enhancements implemented
• 1 October 2025: Flexi-MediSave increases to S$400
• October 2025: Coverage for CTGTPs begins under MediShield Life & MediSave

These milestones reflect MOH’s phased approach to rolling out improvements across healthcare schemes.

What is changing in MediShield Life

From 1 April 2025, MediShield Life will be updated for the first time since its launch. The changes aim to cover 9 in 10 subsidised bills again and to include newer, more expensive treatments.

Upgraded benefits

Patients will benefit from higher daily claim limits and broader outpatient support. For example:

• Normal ward (first two days): S$1,000 rising to S$1,630
• ICU daily limit: S$2,200 increasing to S$5,140
• Annual claim limit: S$150,000 going up to S$200,000
• Higher dialysis caps and home-based treatment claims
• Tiered co-insurance rates for outpatient treatments of 3–10% (instead of flat rates)
• New outpatient deductible of S$500 from 1 January 2026

High-cost therapies

For the first time, MediShield Life and MediSave will cover cell, tissue and gene therapy products (CTGTPs) and selected high-cost drugs. CTGTPs are used for certain cancers, rare genetic diseases, and tissue repair procedures. This expands access to life-saving, but previously unaffordable treatments. Coverage begins in October 2025.

Premium adjustments

Premiums will increase, but the rise will be capped and spread out:

• Up to 35% in total, phased from April 2025 to March 2028.
• Government support of S$4.1 billion will more than offset the expected S$1.8 billion rise in premiums.
• Over 9 in 10 Singaporeans will see their increases fully covered through subsidies and top-ups.

Healthy 365 incentives

From Q3 2025, adults aged 40 and above can use the Healthy 365 app to turn activity points into MediShield Life premium discounts. This directly links healthier living to lower insurance costs.

Dental subsidies and clearer fees

Dental care will become more affordable from Q4 2025 with several enhancements under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS):

• CHAS Orange cardholders will gain access to basic and preventive dental subsidies, extending benefits previously only available to Blue, MG, and PG cardholders.
• Higher subsidy caps for seven restorative procedures, such as crowns, root canals and dentures.
• Standardised fee benchmarks so that subsidies lead to genuine savings.

Example (from MOH):

A root canal costing S$950 for a CHAS Orange cardholder could drop to approximately S$560 after subsidy. With the higher S$400 Flexi-MediSave withdrawal available from mid-2026, the final out-of-pocket cost could be as low as S$160.

Greater flexibility for MediSave

MediSave is becoming more flexible to help Singaporeans cover both outpatient care and long-term medical needs.

From 1 October 2025, seniors aged 60 and above will be able to withdraw up to S$400 per year under the Flexi‑MediSave scheme, up from the current S$300. This increase helps older adults better manage day-to-day healthcare costs while maintaining a sustainable savings balance.

For outpatient scans such as MRI and CT scans, the annual MediSave claim limit will double from S$300 to S$600, starting 1 January 2026. This enhancement ensures that high-cost diagnostic tests are more accessible and less burdensome on out-of-pocket expenses.

Families planning for a new child will also benefit from an increase in the MediSave Grant for Newborns, which rises from S$4,000 to S$5,000 effective 1 April 2025. This grant helps parents cover essential healthcare expenses in the early months of a child’s life.

To ensure that MediSave continues to align with the broader MediShield Life scheme, the government will adjust withdrawal limits to match the revised MediShield Life deductibles and co-insurance rates. These updates will help Singaporeans optimise their MediSave usage while covering larger bills more efficiently.

More help for families with long-term care

Families with seniors will see more support for long-term care needs, both in the short term and long term.

• One-off fee rebates for subsidised long-term care will be available from July 2025 to June 2026, helping families manage costs immediately.
• From July 2026 onwards, permanent enhancements will include:Higher subsidies of up to 80% (an increase of up to 15 percentage points).
• Higher eligibility threshold (PCHI: S$3,600 increasing to S$4,800).
• Extra subsidies for those born in 1969 or earlier (+5ppts for residential care, +15ppts for home/community care).
• Home Caregiving Grant raised to S$600 a month from April 2026.
• Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund expanded with more items, higher thresholds, and extended eligibility to permanent residents.

These enhancements ensure that families can better afford long-term care and that seniors receive support tailored to both residential and home/community settings.

Preventive care and mental health services

MOH is strengthening preventive care and mental health services across all age groups in 2025. These initiatives support early intervention, healthy lifestyles, and accessible mental health help.

Key developments include:

• National Mental Health Helpline & Textline, launched on 18 June 2025.
• “grovve” Integrated Wellness Centre for youths aged 13–25, opening at SCAPE by end-2025.
• Age Well SG initiatives, including 223 Active Ageing Centres by March 2025, the rollout of the Integrated Community Care Programme (ICCP), and mainstreaming of Shared Stay-in Senior Care Services.

These enhancements demonstrate MOH’s commitment to creating a holistic healthcare ecosystem that addresses physical, mental, and social well-being at every life stage.

What the changes mean for you

MOH encourages Singaporeans to take practical steps depending on their stage of life:

Young adults (20s–30s)

• Enrol with a Healthier SG clinic.
• Use Healthy 365 to reduce future MediShield Life premiums.
• If planning a family, note the newborn MediSave grant increase and expanded coverage.

Families with seniors

• Plan dental visits around CHAS subsidy expansions in Q4 2025.
• Check eligibility for LTC rebates (July 2025 to June 2026) and future subsidy tiers.
• Use the Flexi-MediSave S$400 withdrawal starting October 2025.

Seniors and caregivers

• Understand phased MediShield Life premiums and available government support.
• Participate in the Healthy 365 pilot to offset premiums.
• Track Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) and Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) enhancements coming in 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Will my premiums go up?

Yes, with a cap and phased approach. More than 9 in 10 Singaporeans will find that government support fully offsets the increase.

Can I use MediSave for specific treatments?

Yes. Limits are increasing for outpatient scans, Flexi-MediSave, and MediSave grants for newborns. Changes will align with MediShield Life’s new deductibles and co-insurance structure.

What if I still cannot afford premiums?

MOH ensures subsidy schemes like Additional Premium Support and MediSave top-ups are in place so no one loses coverage due to financial difficulties.

What you can do now

As these changes roll out, the best way to keep your healthcare costs manageable is to take simple, proactive steps now. Here’s what you can do:

Enrol or confirm your Healthier SG clinic

Make sure you are registered with a Healthier SG clinic so you can access personalised preventive care and benefit from subsidised chronic disease management. This also links you to Healthy 365 rewards.

Download the Healthy 365 app

Start collecting activity points today. From Q3 2025, adults aged 40 and above can convert these points into MediShield Life premium discounts, effectively lowering out-of-pocket costs for staying active.

Check your CHAS card status

Ensure you or your family members are enrolled in the right CHAS tier. From Q4 2025, dental subsidies will expand, so being on the right tier (Blue, Orange, or Green) means you save more on essential treatments.

Review your MediSave balance

Look at how much you currently have in your MediSave account. With withdrawal limits rising for Flexi-MediSave and outpatient scans, and newborn grants increasing, knowing your balance helps you plan for future medical and dental expenses.

By acting on these steps, you can ensure that you not only take full advantage of the expanded coverage and subsidies but also keep your healthcare costs as low as possible.