I asked the Minister for Health on 21 October 2013 for the number of MediShield policyholders in each age group. Here was his written reply to my parliamentary question.
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Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health how many MediShield policyholders are currently in age ranges of (i) 0-20 years (ii) 21-30 years (iii) 31-40 years (iv) 41-50 years (v) 51-60 years (vi) 61-65 years (vii) 66-70 years (viii) 71-73 years (ix) 74-75 years (x) 76-80 years (xi) 81-83 years (xii) 84-85 years and (xiii) 86-90 years.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (Minister for Health):
As at June 2013, 3.6 million members, or 93% of the resident population, were covered under MediShield. The breakdown of MediShield policyholders by age group is presented below.
|
Age Group |
MediShield Policyholders |
|
0-20 |
881,800 |
|
21-30 |
505,100 |
|
31-40 |
598,500 |
|
41-50 |
598,200 |
|
51-60 |
537,800 |
|
61-65 |
189,200 |
|
66-70 |
106,300 |
|
71-73 |
51,500 |
|
74-75 |
29,700 |
|
76-80 |
46,800 |
|
81-83 |
16,500 |
|
84-85 |
6,300 |
|
86-90 |
2,600 |
|
Total |
3,570,200 |
The maximum coverage age for MediShield was recently raised from 85 to 90 years in March 2013, in view of the increasing life expectancy of Singaporeans. As a next step, with the proposed move to MediShield Life, we will be studying enhancements to provide universal, lifetime coverage for all Singaporeans, including the most elderly.