Health & hospital
MediSave
Your compulsory CPF medical savings account that pays for premiums and approved healthcare so you do not draw on cash.
What it protects
The shock it absorbs.
Your cash flow against healthcare costs. MediSave is not insurance itself, but it is the funding engine behind the health-protection layers: it pays MediShield Life premiums in full, part of your Integrated Shield Plan premium, and approved hospital and outpatient bills.
It also backstops the out-of-pocket parts of a claim, such as the IP deductible, which can be paid from MediSave even when a rider will not cover them.
How it works
In Singapore, in practice.
Every working Singaporean and PR builds a MediSave balance through CPF contributions. The account is ring-fenced for healthcare: it fully covers MediShield Life premiums at any age, and it can pay the private portion of an IP up to age-based Additional Withdrawal Limits (for example, modest annual caps that step up with age).
MediSave balances accumulate with interest until you reach the Basic Healthcare Sum (currently S$79,000); contributions above that level flow to your other CPF accounts. This means MediSave keeps a lifelong reserve earmarked for medical needs.
MediSave can also pay for approved uses such as hospitalisation, day surgery, selected chronic-disease outpatient treatment, and national-scheme premiums (including CareShield Life), within published withdrawal limits. It cannot, however, be used to pay IP riders, which must be funded in cash.
Run the numbers
See it in your own figures.
See the premium and your out-of-pocket share at your age, across every ward and insurer we compare.
Where it sits
Its place in your protection stack.
Protection is built in layers. This is the role MediSave plays, and the layers above and below it.
Whole life, personal accident, and general cover, added as priorities allow.
Term life sized to your dependants and outstanding debts.
Critical illness and income protection for your working years.
Integrated Shield Plans and riders for private or as-charged hospital cover.
What every Singaporean has by default: MediShield Life and CareShield Life.
The trade-offs
What it does well, and what to watch.
Good for
- Funding MediShield Life and IP premiums
- Paying approved hospital and outpatient bills
- Covering the IP deductible
- Lifelong earmarked medical reserve
Watch outs
- MediSave cannot pay IP riders; those are cash-only.
- Withdrawal limits cap how much MediSave can pay toward the private IP layer, so cash often tops it up.
- Balances above the Basic Healthcare Sum are diverted to other CPF accounts rather than added to MediSave.
- It is a savings account, not coverage; it can be depleted, which is why insurance layers sit on top of it.
Who it's for
When this matters most.
- Every working Singaporean and PR; it builds automatically through CPF.
- Those wanting to fund health premiums and bills without touching cash savings.
- People planning ahead for retirement healthcare, where MediSave becomes a key reserve.
In the market
What this looks like.
Real Singapore examples, shown to make the type concrete. These are illustrative, not endorsements.
How it connects
Cover that works with this.
MediShield Life
The national basic health insurance that covers every Singaporean and PR for life, including pre-existing conditions.
Full breakdown Health & hospitalIntegrated Shield Plan (IP)
A private upgrade that sits on top of MediShield Life so you can be treated in Class A or private-hospital wards.
Full breakdown Health & hospitalIP Co-Payment Rider
An add-on to an Integrated Shield Plan that shrinks the deductible and co-insurance you pay out of pocket on a hospital claim.
Full breakdown Health & hospitalCareShield Life
The national long-term-care insurance that pays a lifelong monthly cash payout if you become severely disabled.
Full breakdownSources
Where the facts come from.
- MediSave fully funds MediShield Life premiums at any age and funds the private IP portion up to age-based Additional Withdrawal Limits.ConSol/Core/CountryConfig/SingaporeConfig.swift (ISPRegulatory.medishieldLifeFullyMedisavePayable, medisaveAWL)
- MediSave Basic Healthcare Sum is S$79,000; contributions above this redirect to other CPF accounts.ConSol/Core/CountryConfig/SingaporeConfig.swift (CPFLimits.maBHS)
- Official MediSave overview and approved uses.https://www.cpf.gov.sg/member/healthcare-financing/medisave
See where MediSave fits your own plan.
This is educational, not advice. When you want a detailed look at whether this cover fits your situation, a licensed adviser will map it to your income, CPF, and goals.