Introduction to CareShield Life
CareShield Life is a long-term care insurance scheme launched on 1 October 2020 which provides basic financial protection should an individual become severely disabled, especially during old age, and need care for a prolonged duration.
From 1 October 2020, all Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents, born in 1980 or later, will be automatically covered under CareShield Life from 1 October 2020, or when they turn 30, whichever is later.
From 6 November 2021, all Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents born in 1979 or earlier can choose to join CareShield Life, if they are not severely disabled. To make joining more convenient, Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents born between 1970 and 1979 (both inclusive) who are insured under ElderShield 400 scheme and are not severely disabled will be auto-enrolled onto CareShield Life from December 2021. Please click here for more information on CareShield Life.
Payout Details
CareShield Life policyholders who are/become severely disabled are eligible to make claims, and can receive payouts for as long as they remain severely disabled, and meet the terms and conditions needed to receive payouts. Payouts start at $600 cash per month in 2020, which increases annually until age 67 or when a successful claim is made, whichever is earlier.
How to Qualify
To be eligible for CareShield Life claims, the care recipient must meet the following criteria:
CareShield Life policyholder
- Must be a CareShield Life Policyholder.
- To find out if you are insured under CareShield Life, log on to careshieldlife.gov.sg with your Singpass.
Requires Assistance with Activities of Daily Living
Requires full assistance with at least three of the six Activities of Daily Living. These six activities are:
How to Apply
Contact an MOH-accredited severe disability assessor to undergo a disability assessment.
a. Click here for the list of assessors.
b. For CareShield Life claims, the assessment fee for the first disability assessment will be waived, regardless of whether the care recipient is assessed to be severely disabled, or whether the claim is successful.
c. If this is not the care recipient’s first time being assessed for CareShield Life claims, the assessor will collect an assessment fee from you. If the care recipient is assessed to be severely disabled, the full assessment fee will be reimbursed to you.
The amount to be collected for the purpose of disability assessment is as indicated below:
- You visit an assessor’s Clinic: $100
- An assessor visits your house: $250
d. If the care recipient is residing in a nursing home, the nursing home can help submit a Resident’s Assessment Form in place of the severe disability assessment. Please approach the nursing home for assistance.
Login to AIC’s eService portal (eFASS) with your Singpass.
We strongly encourage you to apply online as there is a shorter waiting time for application approval. If you are unable to submit your application using eFASS, please email us at apply@aic.sg or walk in to any of our AIC links to request for a hardcopy application form.
Care recipients in Nursing Homes can arrange for payments to be made to the Nursing Home to offset their bills. Please contact the Nursing Home for assistance with the application.
If you are applying on behalf of someone who lacks mental capacity, please read the Additional Guidance.
Please ensure that you have read the Terms and Conditions before submitting your application.
Video Guide on eFASS Application Portal
Note:
Pioneers who are already receiving payouts from IDAPE/ElderFund, ElderShield, Home Caregiving Grant or MediSave Care are automatically included in PioneerDAS. AIC will contact these Pioneers separately.
After the application is submitted
We are currently experiencing a high volume of applications. During this period, we may take up to six weeks to process your online application. We will inform you of the outcome in writing by mail. If your application is successful, payouts will be made to your nominated bank account in the following month, which may include payouts from the month the application was submitted. The payouts will be reflected as “CareShield Life” in your bank statement.
Please contact AIC at 1800-650-6060 if you require any assistance.
For Existing Scheme Recipients
- If you would like to change the care recipient’s scheme details, please login with your Singpass on eFASS under “Manage My Schemes” > “Change in Scheme Details”. Please note these additional points as well:
- If you are changing the care recipient’s scheme details on behalf of a care recipient who lacks mental capacity, you will need to submit a Mental Incapacity Certification if you have not done so before. The form can be downloaded here and needs to be filled in by a doctor.
- If you are changing the care recipient’s payee to a nursing home that the care recipient is residing in, please approach the nursing home for assistance.
- If you wish to opt-out from receiving CareShield Life payouts, please login with your Singpass on the eFASS under “Manage My Schemes” > “Change in Scheme Details”.
- If you are unable to update scheme details or opt out of scheme using the eFASS, please email us at apply@aic.sg, or walk in to any of our AIC Links to request for a hardcopy application form. We seek your understanding that hardcopy applications have a longer processing time
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about CareShield Life claims? We may have the answers here:
Additional guidance for care recipient without mental capacity
Additional guidance for care recipient who lacks mental capacity to provide consent
1. The care recipient’s donee/deputy# may provide consent on the care recipient’s behalf. If the care recipient does not have such a donee/deputy, the caregiver* may make the application on care recipient’s behalf.
# Donee/deputy must be appointed in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act (Cap 177) and is authorised to make decisions on behalf of the care recipient in relation to the care recipient’s property and affairs.
* For successful applications without a donee/deputy and paying to 3rd party bank accounts (not applicable to nursing home accounts), the caregiver or another family member has 12 months to obtain a court order appointing him/her as a deputy, failing which the payouts will be suspended. For more information on how to apply for a deputyship, please visit the Family Justice Courts website.
Doctor’s certification for mental incapacity is only valid for six months, unless stated permanent.
2. Please submit the following addtional supporting documents:
- Doctor’s certification that the care recipient lacks mental capacity OR court order of deputy appointment OR recent medical report stating that the care recipient lacks mental capacity; and
- Copy of bank book or statement IF you are nominating an account belonging to a deputy or trustee of the care recipient.
Why do I need NRIC issue date? How do I find the NRIC issue date?
AIC requires the input of the NRIC issue date for verification purposes.
How do I change my nominated bank account for CareShield Life claim payouts?
You can login with your SingPass on eFASS and navigate to “Manage My Schemes” > “Change in Scheme Details”.
If you are changing the nominated bank account on behalf of a care recipient who lacks mental capacity, you will need to submit a Mental Incapacity Certification if you have not done so before. Please refer to Additional Guidance for more information.
If you are nominating a nursing home to receive the payouts, please approach the nursing home to help you submit the Change in Application Details Form to AIC.
Do keep a copy of the application documents for your own reference.
How do I know whether I am severely disabled?
You would need to visit an MOH-accredited severe disability assessor to be assessed whether you are severely disabled. You are likely to be assessed as severely disabled if you are unable to perform at least three activities of daily living (ADLs). These ADLs are bathing, dressing, feeding oneself, using the toilet, moving around and transferring.
For example, at least three of the following scenarios apply to you:
- You may need to rely entirely on your caregiver to be fed
- You may need to rely entirely on your caregiver to be bathed
- You may need to rely entirely on your caregiver to manage your diapers or catheter
- You may need to rely entirely on your caregiver to be dressed
- You need to rely entirely on caregiver to move over a distance, e.g. cannot walk on one’s own or push oneself in a wheelchair
- You need to be fully supported when being transferred from bed to chair, or chair to bed
You will be reimbursed fully for the assessment fee if you are assessed to be severely disabled. If you are assessed to have mild/moderate disability, you may still be eligible for mild/moderate disability assistance schemes like the Home Caregiving Grant and Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession for Persons with Disabilities.
For information on the different levels of disability and how to apply for CareShield Life claims and other forms of financial support, please refer to the information on www.aic.sg/financial-assistance.
Can I see my own doctor or therapist to be assessed for CareShield Life claim eligibility?
If you wish to apply for CareShield Life or any of the severe disability schemes, you need to undergo a severe disability assessment by an MOH-accredited severe disability assessor who has undergone a rigorous training programme to learn how to assess disability accurately. You may wish to check if your own doctor or healthcare professional is on the list of MOH accredited severe disability assessors. This can be found here. If they are not, you will need to make an appointment with one of the assessors on the list for an assessment.
Do I need to pay for a severe disability assessment? How much are the assessment fees?
The fees for clinic-based and non-clinic-based assessments are $100 and $250 respectively. The assessment fee will be waived for the first disability assessment for CareShield Life claims, regardless of the assessment outcome. Otherwise assessment fees will be reimbursed only if the policyholder is assessed to be severely disabled.
Would someone with dementia automatically qualify for CareShield Life claims?
Applicants with dementia or other cognitive impairments will not automatically qualify for CareShield Life claims, and will still need to undergo a severe disability assessment, as dementia/cognitive impairment could affect the applicant’s functional abilities to varying extents.
Is there a periodic re-assessment? How often would it be? Can this be waived?
An annual periodic re-assessment may be required to assess if a care recipient of a severe disability scheme continues to meet the criteria for receiving payouts/withdrawals. Periodic re-assessment fees are waived, regardless of the outcome of the assessment. We will write to the care recipient if a periodic re-assessment is required.
Care recipients who are assessed as permanently severely disabled will be exempted from disability re-assessments, unless new information comes in to suggest that the care recipient’s condition has improved.
If my CareShield Life payout had ceased due to recovery, can I subsequently reapply for claims if I become severely disabled again?
Yes, you can reapply and receive CareShield Life payouts again if you are assessed to meet all eligibility criteria.
How are my CareShield Life payouts determined?
Your potential payouts start at $600 per month in 2020 and increase annually until aged 67, or when a successful claim is made, whichever is earlier. This means that if you are aged 66 or younger, your fixed monthly payout is based on the calendar year from which you were eligible for payouts, and not the calendar year of your claims application. For example, an individual who had met the eligibility criteria in 2020 but only submitted their claim in 2021 would have their fixed monthly payout quantum set at the payout amount for 2020 (not 2021).
