Central Provident Fund (MediShield Scheme) (Amendment) Regulations 1996

No. S 450

Central Provident Fund Act

(Chapter 36)

Central Provident Fund (MediShield Scheme) (Amendment) Regulations 1996

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 57 of the Central Provident Fund Act, the Minister for Labour hereby makes the following Regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Central Provident Fund (MediShield Scheme) (Amendment) Regulations 1996 and shall be deemed to have come into operation on 1st July 1996.

2. Regulation 2 of the Central Provident Fund (MediShield Scheme) Regulations (referred to in these Regulations as the principal Regulations) is amended —

(a)

by deleting the words “70 years” in the definition of “dependant” and substituting the words “75 years”; and

(b)

by re-numbering the regulation as paragraph (1) of that regulation, and by inserting immediately thereafter the following paragraph:

“(2) In these Regulations, a reference to payment in cash includes —

(a)	where payment is to be made by a member to the Board, payment by cheque, money or postal order, or through any electronic funds transfer systems whereby payment is effected by directing the transfer of funds electronically from the bank account of the member to the bank account of the Board; and
(b)	where payment is to be made by the Board to the member, payment by cheque.”.

3. Regulation 3(a) of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting the words “70 years” and substituting the words “75 years”.

4. Regulation 6 of the principal Regulations is amended —

(a)

by inserting, immediately after the word “Fund” in the second line of paragraph (1), the words “who has not attained the age of 70 years on or before 1st July 1996 and”;

(b)

by deleting the words “with effect from that date” in the last line of paragraph (1);

(c)

by deleting the words “65 years on 1st July 1992”” in the third line of paragraph (2) and substituting the words “70 years on or after 1st July 1996””; and

(d)

by deleting paragraph (3) and substituting the following paragraph:

“(3) Every member of the Fund who was insured under the Scheme under paragraph (1) and —

(a)	whose cover had expired on the ground that he had attained the age of 70 years on or after 1st July 1992 but before 1st July 1996; and
(b)	who has moneys standing to his credit in the Fund in his medisave account on 1st July 1996,

shall be insured under the Scheme in this Division from 1st July 1996.”.

5. Regulation 7 of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting paragraph (1) and substituting the following paragraph:

“(1) Any member who is not insured under the Scheme in this Division and who has not attained the age of 70 years on or before 1st July 1996 may apply to the Board to be insured under the Scheme in this Division.”.

6. Regulation 9 of the principal Regulations is amended —

(a)	by inserting, immediately after “6 (2)” in the second line of paragraph (3), the words “or (3)”;
(b)	by deleting “1992” in the last line of paragraph (3) and substituting “1996”;
(c)	by deleting paragraph (4); and
(d)	by re-numbering paragraph (5) as paragraph (4).

7. Regulation 11 of the principal Regulations is amended —

(a)

by deleting paragraph (1) and substituting the following paragraph:

“(1) Any member who has not attained the age of 70 years on or before 1st July 1996 may apply to the Board to be insured under the Scheme in this Division.”.

(b)

by inserting, immediately after paragraph (4), the following paragraph:

“(5) Every member of the Fund who was insured under the Scheme in this Division and —

(a)	whose cover had expired on the ground that he attained the age of 70 years on or after 1st July 1994 but before 1st July 1996; and
(b)	who has moneys standing to his credit in the Fund in his medisave account on 1st July 1996,

shall be insured under the Scheme in this Division from 1st July 1996.”.

8. The principal Regulations are amended by inserting, immediately after regulation 12, the following regulation:

“Medisave account deduction limit

12A.—(1) The amount that the Board may deduct from the amount standing to the credit of a member’s medisave account for payment of the premium payable under regulation 12(1) for each insured person shall not exceed $660 per policy year.

(2) Where the premium payable under regulation 12(1) for an insured person exceeds $660 per policy year, the member who is liable to pay the premium must pay to the Board in cash the amount that the premium exceeds $660 and if the member fails to do so —

(a)	the insured person shall not be insured under the Scheme in this Division or the insurance cover of the insured person under the Scheme in this Division shall not be renewed, as the case may be; and
(b)	the insured person shall not be deemed to be insured under the Scheme in Division 2 unless an application is made under regulation 7 for that person to be insured under the Scheme in that Division.”.

9. Regulation 15 of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting paragraph (2) and substituting the following paragraphs:

“(2) Subject to paragraph (3), where the insurance cover of an insured person is cancelled under paragraph (1) —

(a)	any premium deducted from his medisave account, or from the medisave account of the member who insured him, together with the interest that would have accrued thereto if such premium had not been so deducted, shall be refunded to the medisave account;
(b)	any premium paid by a member in cash under regulation 8(2) (on the ground that the amount standing to the credit of the member’s medisave account was insufficient to pay the premium which the member was liable to pay under the Scheme) shall be paid into the member’s medisave account;
(c)	any premium paid by a member in cash under regulation 12(2) (on the ground that the amount standing to the credit of the member’s medisave account was insufficient to pay the premium which the member was liable to pay under the Scheme) shall be paid into the member’s medisave account except that where the sum of the premium paid in cash and the premium deducted from the member’s medisave account exceeds $660 per person per policy year, the amount by which that sum exceeds $660 per person per policy year shall be paid to the member in cash; and
(d)	any premium paid by a member in cash under regulation 12A(2) (on the ground that the premium exceeded the $660 limit that the Board may deduct from a member’s medisave account) shall be paid to the member in cash.

(3) No refund shall be made under paragraph (2) if the insured person or the member who insured him had made or furnished to the Board any statement or fact that is false or misleading in a material particular at the time of his joining the Scheme.”.

10. The principal Regulations are amended by inserting, immediately after regulation 15, the following regulations:

“Premium rebate

15A.—(1) A member who —

(a)	is or was insured under the Scheme in Division 2, or in a particular Plan in Division 3, immediately before he attains or attained the age of 60 years; and
(b)	continues or continued to be insured under the Scheme in that Division and Plan without a break in cover till attaining the age of 70 years,

is entitled, in respect of the premium payable for renewal of insurance cover under the Scheme in that Division and Plan on or after he attains the age of 70 years, to a discount off the premium (referred to in this regulation as a premium rebate).

(2) The premium rebate, corresponding to the age at which the member was insured under the Scheme without a break in cover in the same Division and, if applicable, Plan is set out in the Fifth Schedule.

(3) Where there is or had been a break in cover, the premium rebate is to be based on the age at which the member last rejoined the Scheme in the Division and, if applicable, Plan under which he is or was insured immediately before he attains or attained the age of 60 years.

(4) In this regulation and in regulation 15B, “break in cover” means that the annual premium for renewal of insurance cover under the Scheme is not or was not paid within one month of the expiry of the previous policy year.

Effect of change of Division or Plan of Scheme on premium rebate

15B.—(1) Where a member —

(a)	is or was insured under the Scheme immediately before attaining the age of 60 years;
(b)	continues or continued to be insured under the Scheme without a break in cover till attaining the age of 70 years; and
(c)	is not entitled to a premium discount under regulation 15A because the member had during the period of insurance cover been insured under the Scheme under different Divisions or, if applicable, different Plans within a Division, the Board may nevertheless grant the member a discount off the premium for the renewal of his insurance cover under the Scheme on or after the member attains the age of 70 years.

(2) The Board may grant a discount off the premium under paragraph (1) whether the member wishes to renew his insurance cover under the Scheme —

(a)	in the same Division and, if applicable, Plan in a Division, as that in which the member was insured immediately before attaining the age of 70 years; or
(b)	in a different Division or, if applicable, Plan in a Division, from that which the member was insured immediately before attaining the age of 70 years.

(3) The amount of the discount off the premium referred to in paragraph (1) is to be determined by the Board on a case to case basis and is subject to such terms and conditions as the Board may impose.”.

11. Regulation 19 of the principal Regulations is amended —

(a)

by inserting, immediately after the word “person” in the first line of paragraph (1), the words “who is a member”;

(b)

by deleting the words “his medisave account” in the fourth and fifth lines of paragraph (1) and substituting the words “him in the manner set out in paragraph (3)”;

(c)

by inserting, immediately after the word “person” in the first line of paragraph (2), the words “who is a member”;

(d)

by inserting, immediately after the word “him” in the fourth line of paragraph (2), the words “in the manner set out in paragraph (3)”; and

(e)

by inserting, immediately after paragraph (2), the following paragraph:

“(3) The refund of the full amount of the premium referred to in paragraph (1), and the refund of the proportionate amount of the premium in respect of the unexpired period of the insurance cover referred to in paragraph (2), shall be paid in the following manner:

(a)

where the premium for the policy year was deducted entirely from the member’s medisave account, the refund shall be paid into the member’s medisave account; and

(b)

where the premium for the policy year was paid partly by deduction from the member’s medisave account and partly by cash —

(i)	if the amount of the refund is $660 or less, the refund shall be paid into the member’s medisave account; and
(ii)	if the amount of the refund exceeds $660, the amount by which the refund exceeds $660 shall be paid to the member in cash, and the balance shall be paid into the member’s medisave account.”.

12. Regulation 20 of the principal Regulations is amended —

(a)

by deleting the words “member”s medisave account” in the fifth line of paragraph (3) and in the fifth line of paragraph (4) and substituting in each case the words “member in the manner set out in paragraph (5)”; and

(b)

by inserting, immediately after paragraph (4), the following paragraph:

“(5) The refund of the full amount of the premium referred to in paragraph (3), and the refund of the proportionate amount of the premium in respect of the unexpired period of the insurance cover referred to in paragraph (4), shall be paid in the following manner:

(a)

where the premium for the policy year was deducted entirely from the member’s medisave account, the refund shall be paid into the member’s medisave account; and

(b)

where the premium for the policy year was paid partly by deduction from the member’s medisave account and partly by cash —

(i)	if the amount of the refund is $660 per person per policy year or less, the refund shall be paid into the member’s medisave account; and
(ii)	if the amount of the refund exceeds $660 per person per policy year, the amount by which the refund exceeds $660 per person per policy year shall be paid to the member in cash, and the balance shall be paid into the member’s medisave account.”.

13. Regulation 22(a) of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting the words “70 years” and substituting the words “75 years”.

14. The Second Schedule to the principal Regulations is amended by inserting, immediately after the last item, the following items:

“71 - 73

$204

$1,020

$612

74 - 75

$240

$1,200

$720”.

15. The principal Regulations are amended by inserting, immediately after the Fourth Schedule, the following Schedule:

“FIFTH SCHEDULE

Regulation 15A.

Table Showing The Amount Of Premium Rebate Payable Under Division 2 Scheme (the Medishield Scheme)

Age from which person was insured under MediShield without break in cover (Age next birthday)

Premium Rebate at age 71 - 73 next birthday

Premium Rebate at age 74 - 75 next birthday

30 years and below

$81.60

$96

31 - 40

$61.20

$72

41 - 50

$40.80

$48

51 - 60

$20.40

$24

above 60 years

Table Showing The Amount Of Premium Rebate Payable Under Division 3 Plan A Scheme (the Medishield Plus Plan A Scheme)

Age from which person was insured under MediShield Plus Plan A without break in cover (Age next birthday)

Premium Rebate at age 71 - 73 next birthday

Premium Rebate at age 74 - 75 next birthday

30 years and below

$408

$480

31 - 40

$306

$360

41 - 50

$204

$240

51 - 60

$102

$120

above 60 years

Table Showing The Amount Of Premium Rebate Payable Under Division 3 Plan B Scheme (the Medishield Plus Plan B Scheme)

Age from which person was insured under MediShield Plus Plan B without break in cover (Age next birthday)

Premium Rebate at age 71 - 73 next birthday

Premium Rebate at age 74 - 75 next birthday

30 years and below

$244.80

$288

31 - 40

$183.60

$216

41 - 50

$122.40

$144

51 - 60

$ 61.20

$ 72

above 60 years

$0”.

[G.N. No. S 361/95]

Made this 11th day of October 1996.

MOSES LEE KIM POO

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Labour,
Singapore.

[ML.S.10.1/82 V3; AG/SL/19/95/16]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 78(2) of the Central Provident Fund Act).

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