Establishment of CareShield Life Scheme
Open ↗5.—(1) There is established a severe disability insurance scheme called the CareShield Life Scheme or CSHL Scheme to provide payments of an insured sum to an insured person when he or she becomes severely disabled, during the period in which he or she is insured under the CSHL Scheme.
(2) It is the function of the Board to administer, on behalf of the Government, the provisions of this Act specified in Part 1 of the Second Schedule for the purposes of the CSHL Scheme.
(3) The Minister may appoint a person other than a public authority as an Administrator to administer, on behalf of the Government, the provisions of this Act specified in Part 2 of the Second Schedule for the purposes of the CSHL Scheme.
Application of CSHL Scheme
Open ↗6.—(1) The CSHL Scheme applies to —(a)
every citizen of Singapore or permanent resident of Singapore whose birthday is on or after 1 January 1980 and who is at least 30 years of age;
(b)
every individual —(i)
who, on 30 September 2020, was not a citizen of Singapore or a permanent resident of Singapore, but becomes a citizen of Singapore or a permanent resident of Singapore on or after 1 October 2020;
(ii)
whose birthday is before 1 January 1980; and
(iii)
who —(A)
if the individual’s SCPR date is on or after the date of commencement of section 3(a) of the CareShield Life and Long-Term Care (Amendment) Act 2025 — is not disabled on that SCPR date; or
(B)
if the individual’s SCPR date is before the date of commencement of section 3(a) of the CareShield Life and Long-Term Care (Amendment) Act 2025 — was not severely disabled on that SCPR date;
[Act 18 of 2025 wef 01/01/2026]
(c)
every individual —(i)
who, on the transfer date or such other date prescribed for a particular class of individuals, is a citizen of Singapore or a permanent resident of Singapore;
(ii)
whose birthday falls within such period or periods before 1 January 1980 as may be prescribed by an order in the Gazette;
(iii)
who is not severely disabled on the transfer date or such other date prescribed for the purposes of this sub‑paragraph for a particular class of individuals;
(iv)
who, on the transfer date or such other date prescribed for a particular class of individuals, satisfies such other conditions as may be prescribed; and
(v)
who does not withdraw (whether on his or her own or by an authorised applicant acting on behalf of the individual) from the CSHL Scheme before the date prescribed for the purposes of this sub‑paragraph; and
(d)
every other citizen of Singapore or a permanent resident of Singapore not within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) who —(i)
applies for insurance cover under the CSHL Scheme (on his or her own or by an authorised applicant acting on his or her behalf) and whose application is accepted under section 7; and
(ii)
does not subsequently withdraw (on his or her own or by an authorised applicant acting on his or her behalf) from the CSHL Scheme within the prescribed period after the date the application is accepted under section 7.
(2) To ascertain the disability condition of an individual for the purposes of subsection (1)(b) and (c), the Board may require the individual to make a health declaration or attend a disability assessment by an assessor.
(3) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c)(i), (iii) and (iv), different dates may be prescribed for different classes of citizens of Singapore and permanent residents of Singapore.
(4) Despite subsection (1), where an individual —(a)
is not a citizen of Singapore and not a permanent resident of Singapore; or
(b)
is disabled or severely disabled,[Act 18 of 2025 wef 01/01/2026]
the Board may determine that the individual may be covered, for such period as the Board thinks fit, under the CSHL Scheme if the individual satisfies such conditions as may be determined by the Minister in any particular case where the Minister considers appropriate.
(5) An order made for the purposes of subsection (1)(c)(ii) cannot be amended or revoked by another order.
Application for insurance cover
Open ↗7.—(1) An individual who wishes to have insurance cover under the CSHL Scheme must apply to the Board in accordance with this section.
(2) Despite any provision in the Mental Capacity Act 2008, if an individual lacks mental capacity, an authorised applicant may make an application under this section on behalf of that individual.
(3) An application must —(a)
be in the form and manner required by the Board; and
(b)
be accompanied by any document or information that the Board requires to decide whether to accept the application.
(4) The Board may accept an application if the individual to be insured satisfies such requirements as may be prescribed.
(5) In deciding whether to accept an application, the Board may —(a)
carry out such inquiries and investigations in relation to the application as are necessary for a proper consideration of the application;
(b)
request that the authorised applicant or individual to be insured (as the case may be) provide, within a specified time, any additional information that the Board requires for a proper consideration of the application; and
(c)
require that the individual to be insured attend a disability assessment by an assessor.
