PART 3 | Definitions for this Part |
10. In this Part —“dependant”, in relation to a relevant CPF member, means —| (a) | the relevant CPF member’s spouse, child, parent, sibling or grandparent; or | | (b) | any other person whom the Board may approve as a dependant for the purposes of these Regulations; |
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| “relevant CPF member” has the meaning given by regulation 16. |
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| Obligation to pay premiums |
11.—(1) For the purposes of section 14(1) of the Act, the insured person’s obligation to pay the premium in respect of an insurance period (P) ends when any of the following circumstances first occurs:| (a) | at the start of P if the insured person became entitled to the payment of an insured sum in any month during the insurance period immediately before P, unless paragraph (2) applies; | | (b) | at the end of the insurance period in the year immediately after the 67th anniversary of the insured person’s birth, or if the individual became an insured person in or after the year in which the 59th anniversary of his or her birth occurs, at the end of 10 insurance periods starting in the year that he or she became an insured person; | | (c) | the termination of insurance cover under regulation 7. |
| (2) If the insured person ceases to be entitled to the payment of an insured sum in any month during the insurance period immediately before P (despite being earlier entitled to such payment during that same insurance period), the insured person must pay the premium in respect of P, unless his or her obligation to pay the premium has ended because of paragraph (1)(b) or (c). |
| (3) Despite the end of an obligation to pay the premium in respect of P under paragraph (1)(a), the insured person must pay any amount of premium that remains unpaid in respect of one or more insurance periods before P (including any interest, cost and penalty under sections 23(1)(a), 27(3) and 29 of the Act, respectively). |
| (4) In this regulation, “P” does not include the first insurance period of the insured person’s insurance cover under the CSHL Scheme. |
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| 12. For the purposes of section 14(2) of the Act, the premium for each insurance period of an insured person’s insurance cover under the CSHL Scheme is an amount specified on the Internet website at https://www.careshieldlife.gov.sg, which is accessible by use of an electronic service known as the CareShield Life Premium Checker available on that Internet website. |
| Transfer of moneys to pay shortfall in premium |
13.—(1) This regulation applies where the Board finds that —| (a) | there is any shortfall in the premium in respect of an insurance period paid under section 14(4) of the Act by an insured person, or by a relevant CPF member under Division 2 of this Part; and | | (b) | the insured person or the relevant CPF member has paid moneys to an approved insurer in respect of the whole or any part of a CareShield Life supplement premium under the CareShield Life and Long-Term Care (Supplement Scheme) Regulations 2020 (G.N. No. S 850/2020). |
| (2) The Board may require the approved insurer to transfer the whole or any part of the moneys mentioned in paragraph (1)(b) to the Board for the purpose of paying the shortfall in premium. |
| (3) In this regulation, “approved insurer” and “CareShield Life supplement premium” have the meanings given by regulation 2 of the CareShield Life and Long‑Term Care (Supplement Scheme) Regulations 2020. |
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| Interest on unpaid premium |
14.—(1) For the purposes of section 23(1)(a) of the Act, the interest rate that the Board may impose is 4% per annum on the whole or any part of the following amounts that remain due and payable at the time the interest is imposed:| (a) | the insured person’s premium payable for an insurance period; | | (b) | interest previously imposed (if any) on the premium mentioned in sub‑paragraph (a). |
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the interest —| (a) | begins to run —| (i) | where no interest has previously been imposed on the insured person’s premium mentioned in paragraph (1)(a), from the beginning of the insurance period mentioned in that provision; | | (ii) | where any interest has previously been imposed on the insured person’s premium mentioned in paragraph (1)(a), from the beginning of the first insurance period that begins after the date on which the interest previously imposed on that premium ceases to run; or | | (iii) | on any later date during either insurance period mentioned in sub‑paragraph (i) or (ii) (as the case may be) specified by the Board; and |
| | (b) | ceases to run —| (i) | at the end of the insurance period mentioned in sub‑paragraph (a)(i) or (ii), as the case may be; or | | (ii) | on any earlier date during either insurance period mentioned in sub‑paragraph (i) specified by the Board. |
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| (3) The period during which the interest runs, as prescribed in paragraph (2), excludes any period during which interest previously imposed on the insured person’s premium mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) (if any) runs. |
| (4) The Board may waive any interest imposed under this regulation. |
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| Penalty for late payment of premium |
15.—(1) For the purposes of section 29 of the Act, the amount of penalty that may be imposed in respect of an insured person’s premium for an insurance period is —| (a) | 5% of the insured person’s premium for the insurance period that remains unpaid on the first penalty date; and | | (b) | 12% of the insured person’s premium for the same insurance period that remains unpaid on the second penalty date. |
(2) In this regulation —| “first penalty date”, for an insured person’s premium for an insurance period, is a date (not earlier than one month after the beginning of the insurance period) specified for the purposes of paragraph (1)(a) in the demand note that imposes the penalty; |
| “second penalty date”, for an insured person’s premium for an insurance period, is a date (not earlier than the first anniversary of the first penalty date for the insured person’s premium for the insurance period) specified for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b) in the demand note that imposes the penalty. |
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Division 2 — Payment of premium,
interest and penalty by other person |
16. For the purposes of section 14(4)(b) of the Act, the Board is entitled to deduct from the amount standing to an individual’s credit in that individual’s medisave account (called the relevant CPF member), the whole or any part of any premium payable by an insured person, if —| (a) | the relevant CPF member is at least 21 years of age; | | (b) | the insured person is a dependant of the relevant CPF member; and | | (c) | subject to regulation 20(2), the Board has —| (i) | approved an application by the relevant CPF member under regulation 17 to pay that amount of premium from the relevant CPF member’s medisave account, and the approval is not cancelled under this Division; or | | (ii) | appointed the relevant CPF member under regulation 18 to pay that amount of premium from the relevant CPF member’s medisave account, and the appointment is not cancelled under this Division. |
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| Approval of relevant CPF member to pay premium |
17.—(1) The Board may approve a relevant CPF member for the purposes of regulation 16 on an application by the relevant CPF member.(2) The application must be —| (a) | in any form and manner required by the Board; and | | (b) | supported by any document or information required by the Board. |
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| (3) The approval by the Board is subject to any condition that the Board considers appropriate. |
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| Appointment of relevant CPF member to pay premium |
18.—(1) This regulation applies only if the amount standing to the credit of an insured person’s medisave account is insufficient to pay the whole or any part of the premium for an insurance period.(2) The Board may appoint a relevant CPF member to pay the whole or any part of the premium for the insurance period if all of the following are satisfied: | (a) | the insured person is a dependant of the relevant CPF member; | | (b) | the relevant CPF member has sufficient amount standing to the credit of his or her medisave account to pay the whole or any part of that premium for the insurance period; | | (c) | an amount standing to the credit of the relevant CPF member in his or her medisave account has previously been deducted for the payment of —| (i) | the whole or any part of the insured person’s premium in respect of a previous insurance period before that insurance period, or the insured person’s premium under any other insurance policy; | | (ii) | any withdrawal under the Central Provident Fund (Medisave Account Withdrawals) Regulations (Cap. 36, Rg 17) for any medical treatment or services received, or to be received, by the insured person; or | | (iii) | any withdrawal permitted under section 16B(1) of the Central Provident Fund Act (Cap. 36). |
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| (3) The appointment by the Board is subject to any condition that the Board considers appropriate. |
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| Cancellation of approval or appointment upon written notice by relevant CPF member |
19.—(1) A relevant CPF member may give written notice to the Board to cancel the approval under regulation 17 in respect of the relevant CPF member, or to object to the appointment of the relevant CPF member under regulation 18.(2) The written notice must be —| (a) | in any form and manner required by the Board; and | | (b) | supported by any document or information required by the Board. |
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(3) On cancellation of the approval or appointment after the written notice under paragraph (1), the Board may —| (a) | refund to the relevant CPF member’s medisave account, the whole or any part, as the Board may determine, of any amount deducted from the relevant CPF member’s medisave account to pay for any premium of an insured person; | | (b) | pay into the medisave account of the relevant CPF member, the whole or any part, as the Board may determine, of the interest that would have been payable on the amount of the refund under sub‑paragraph (a) if that amount had not been deducted from the relevant CPF member’s medisave account; and | | (c) | require payment of the resulting shortfall in the premiums under section 22(1) of the Act or in accordance with the other provisions of this Division. |
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| Cancellation of approval or appointment by Board |
20.—(1) The Board may cancel the approval in respect of a relevant CPF member under regulation 17 or the appointment of a relevant CPF member under regulation 18, if —| (a) | the deduction from the relevant CPF member’s medisave account is in contravention of these Regulations; or | | (b) | the insured person or the relevant CPF member made a false representation to the Board, or provided the Board with any false information, in connection with the application for payment of a premium for the insurance cover of an insured person under the CSHL Scheme to be deducted from the relevant CPF member’s medisave account. |
(2) Despite the cancellation under paragraph (1), if the Board considers it appropriate in the circumstances of the case, the Board may —| (a) | deduct from the relevant CPF member’s medisave account an amount not exceeding the amount standing to the credit of the relevant CPF member in the medisave account to pay any part of the premium; and | | (b) | permit any deficiency to be paid in any manner that the Board thinks fit, subject to any condition that the Board may impose. |
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(3) Upon cancellation by the Board under paragraph (1) —| (a) | the relevant CPF member must, if required by the Board, refund to the relevant CPF member’s medisave account the amount withdrawn from that account, which would not have been withdrawn without the earlier approval or appointment (called the affected amount); or | | (b) | the Board may —| (i) | refund from the Fund to the relevant CPF member’s medisave account the affected amount paid as premiums for the insured person’s insurance cover under the CSHL Scheme; and | | (ii) | require payment of the resulting shortfall in the premiums under section 22(1) of the Act or in accordance with the other provisions of this Division. |
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| Application to interest or penalty payable under Act |
| 21. This Division also applies in relation to the payment of any interest under section 23 of the Act, or any penalty under section 29 of the Act, in respect of the premium for an insurance period, in the same way that it applies in relation to payment of that premium. |
| Division 3 — Refund of premium, interest and penalty |
| Refund on cancellation of insurance cover |
| 22. Where an individual’s insurance cover is cancelled under regulation 6, all premiums paid for the cancelled insurance cover are to be refunded from the Fund. |
| Refund on termination of insurance cover |
23.—(1) The Board may refund (without interest) from the Fund all premiums paid by or on behalf of the individual immediately before the date of termination referred to in regulation 7(1) or (2) (as the case may be) if —| (a) | no claim was accepted by the Administrator under section 16 of the Act before the date of termination; and | | (b) | the insurance cover was terminated because of the death of the individual concerned, or the cessation of citizenship or permanent residency of Singapore, which occurred —| (i) | within a period of 60 days starting on the commencement date of the insurance cover, if the whole or any part of the premium for the first insurance period has been paid; or | | (ii) | after a period of 60 days starting on the commencement date of the insurance cover, which period falls within the first insurance period, if the premium for the first insurance period has only been partially paid. |
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(2) Despite paragraph (1), where the insurance cover was terminated because of the death of the individual concerned, or the cessation of citizenship or permanent residency of Singapore but the conditions referred to paragraph (1)(b)(i) or (ii) are not satisfied, the Board may, with the Minister’s approval, refund (without interest) from the Fund the premiums mentioned in that paragraph in a particular case if —| (a) | no claim was accepted by the Administrator under section 16 of the Act before the date of termination; and | | (b) | the Board is satisfied that there are extenuating circumstances for making such refund. |
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| Administration of refund by Board |
24.—(1) The Board may pay the whole or any part, as the Board may determine, of any refunded premium, interest or penalty —| (a) | if the premium, interest or penalty was paid by a deduction from an individual’s medisave account — into the individual’s medisave account; or | | (b) | if the premium, interest or penalty was paid in cash or any cash equivalent — in cash or any cash equivalent to the individual who so paid or, if the payment to that individual cannot be made, to the insured person. |
| (2) Where the refunded premium, interest or penalty mentioned in paragraph (1) was paid by deduction from an individual’s medisave account, the Board may also pay into the individual’s medisave account, the whole or any part (as the Board may determine) of the interest that would have been payable on the amount mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) if that amount had not been deducted from the relevant medisave account. |
| (3) The Board may deduct, from any premium, interest or penalty to be refunded, any payment that the insured person is liable to make under the Act. |
| (4) In this regulation, “cash equivalent”, in relation to any payment, includes the payment by a cheque, a credit or debit card or any electronic funds transfer. |
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