Change of address
31.—(1) Subject to subsection (2), every person who is liable to pay any premium under section 4(1)(c)(i) or (ii) must inform the Board in writing of any change in that person’s residential address.
(2) If a person has changed that person’s residential address and has made a report of the change under section 10 of the National Registration Act 1965, that person is taken to have informed the Board of the change of that residential address in accordance with subsection (1).
Certificate of officer authorised by Board to be evidence
32.—(1) In any legal proceedings, a copy of an entry in the accounts of the Fund duly certified under the hand of an officer of the Board authorised by the Board to sign the certification is prima facie evidence of the entry having been made and of the truth of the contents of the entry.
(2) In any suit under section 15, the production of a certificate signed by an officer of the Board authorised by the Board to sign the certification stating the following is sufficient evidence of the amount due and sufficient authority for the court to give judgment for that amount:(a)
the name and address of the defaulter; and
(b)
the amount of the outstanding premium payable by the defaulter.
Protection from personal liability
33. No liability is incurred by any public officer, any member of the Council or of any committee appointed under section 8(4), any member, officer or employee of the Board or a recovery body, or any other person acting under the direction of the Council or the Board, for anything which is done or purported to be done, or omitted to be done, in good faith and with reasonable care in —(a)
the exercise or purported exercise of any power under this Act; or
(b)
the performance or purported performance of any function or duty under this Act.
Service of documents
33A.—(1) A document (other than a demand note mentioned in section 11(2)) that is permitted or required by or under this Act to be served on a person may be served as described in this section.(2) A document may be served on an individual —(a)
by giving it to the individual personally;
(b)
by sending it by prepaid registered post to the address specified by the individual for the service of documents or, if no address is so specified, the individual’s residential address or business address;
(c)
by leaving it at the individual’s residential address with an adult person apparently residing there, or at the individual’s business address with an adult person apparently employed there;
(d)
by affixing a copy of the document in a conspicuous place at the individual’s residential address or business address;
(e)
by sending it by fax to the fax number given by the individual as the fax number for the service of documents under this Act; or
(f)
by sending it by email to the individual’s email address.
(3) A document may be served on a partnership (other than a limited liability partnership) —(a)
by giving it to any partner or other similar officer of the partnership;
(b)
by leaving it at, or by sending it by prepaid registered post to, the partnership’s business address;
(c)
by sending it by fax to the fax number used at the partnership’s business address; or
(d)
by sending it by email to the partnership’s email address.
(4) A document may be served on a body corporate (including a limited liability partnership) or an unincorporated association —(a)
by giving it to the secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate or unincorporated association or the limited liability partnership’s manager;
(b)
by leaving it at, or by sending it by prepaid registered post to, the body corporate’s or unincorporated association’s registered office or principal office in Singapore;
(c)
by sending it by fax to the fax number used at the body corporate’s or unincorporated association’s registered office or principal office in Singapore; or
(d)
by sending it by email to the body corporate’s or unincorporated association’s email address.
(5) Service of a document under this section takes effect —(a)
if the document is sent by fax and a notification of successful transmission is received, on the day of the transmission;
(b)
if the document is sent by email, at the time that the email becomes capable of being retrieved by the person; and
(c)
if the document is sent by prepaid registered post, 2 days after the day the document was posted (even if it is returned undelivered).
(6) A document may be served on a person under this Act by email only with that person’s prior written consent.
(7) This section does not apply to documents to be served in proceedings in court or whose manner of service is otherwise provided by or under this Act.
(8) In this section —“business address” means —(a)
in the case of an individual, the individual’s usual or last known place of business in Singapore; and
(b)
in the case of a partnership (other than a limited liability partnership), the partnership’s principal or last known place of business in Singapore;
“email address” means the last email address given by the addressee concerned as the email address for the service of documents under this Act;
“residential address” means an individual’s usual or last known place of residence in Singapore and includes an address provided in accordance with section 31.
[Act 40 of 2024 wef 01/04/2025]
—(1) A document (other than a demand note mentioned in section 11(2)) that is permitted or required by or under this Act to be served on a person may be served as described in this section.
(2) A document may be served on an individual —(a)
by giving it to the individual personally;
(b)
by sending it by prepaid registered post to the address specified by the individual for the service of documents or, if no address is so specified, the individual’s residential address or business address;
(c)
by leaving it at the individual’s residential address with an adult person apparently residing there, or at the individual’s business address with an adult person apparently employed there;
(d)
by affixing a copy of the document in a conspicuous place at the individual’s residential address or business address;
(e)
by sending it by fax to the fax number given by the individual as the fax number for the service of documents under this Act; or
(f)
by sending it by email to the individual’s email address.
(3) A document may be served on a partnership (other than a limited liability partnership) —(a)
by giving it to any partner or other similar officer of the partnership;
(b)
by leaving it at, or by sending it by prepaid registered post to, the partnership’s business address;
(c)
by sending it by fax to the fax number used at the partnership’s business address; or
(d)
by sending it by email to the partnership’s email address.
(4) A document may be served on a body corporate (including a limited liability partnership) or an unincorporated association —(a)
by giving it to the secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate or unincorporated association or the limited liability partnership’s manager;
(b)
by leaving it at, or by sending it by prepaid registered post to, the body corporate’s or unincorporated association’s registered office or principal office in Singapore;
(c)
by sending it by fax to the fax number used at the body corporate’s or unincorporated association’s registered office or principal office in Singapore; or
(d)
by sending it by email to the body corporate’s or unincorporated association’s email address.
(5) Service of a document under this section takes effect —(a)
if the document is sent by fax and a notification of successful transmission is received, on the day of the transmission;
(b)
if the document is sent by email, at the time that the email becomes capable of being retrieved by the person; and
(c)
if the document is sent by prepaid registered post, 2 days after the day the document was posted (even if it is returned undelivered).
(6) A document may be served on a person under this Act by email only with that person’s prior written consent.
(7) This section does not apply to documents to be served in proceedings in court or whose manner of service is otherwise provided by or under this Act.
(8) In this section —“business address” means —(a)
in the case of an individual, the individual’s usual or last known place of business in Singapore; and
(b)
in the case of a partnership (other than a limited liability partnership), the partnership’s principal or last known place of business in Singapore;
“email address” means the last email address given by the addressee concerned as the email address for the service of documents under this Act;
“residential address” means an individual’s usual or last known place of residence in Singapore and includes an address provided in accordance with section 31.
Service of demand notes
33B.—(1) A demand note may be served as described in this section.(2) A demand note may be served on a person —(a)
by giving it to the person personally;
(b)
by sending it by prepaid registered post to the address specified by the person generally for the service of documents permitted or required by or under this Act to be served or specifically for demand notes;
(c)
if no address mentioned in paragraph (b) is so specified, by sending it by prepaid registered post to —(i)
the person’s residential address;
(ii)
the person’s business address;
(iii)
any correspondence address provided by the person —(A)
in relation to the administration of this Act; or
(B)
in accordance with regulations made under section 34; or
(iv)
if the person is an insured person who has not attained 21 years of age —(A)
the residential address of the insured person’s parent;
(B)
the business address of the insured person’s parent; or
(C)
any correspondence address mentioned in sub-paragraph (iii) provided by the insured person’s parent;
(d)
by leaving it at the person’s residential address with an adult person apparently residing there, or at the person’s business address with an adult person apparently employed there;
(e)
by affixing a copy of the demand note in a conspicuous place at the person’s residential address or business address;
(f)
by sending it by fax to the fax number given by the person generally for the service of documents permitted or required by or under this Act to be served or specifically for demand notes; or
(g)
by sending it by email in any manner provided in subsection (3).
(3) For the purposes of subsection (2)(g), a demand note may be served on a person (A) —(a)
by sending it by email to the last email address given by A to the recovery body, as the email address for the service of demand notes under this Act, if A has given prior written consent to service in this manner; or
(b)
by sending it by email to an email address of A, if —(i)
the recovery body sends A an email at that email address;
(ii)
the email contains a prominent notice stating —(A)
that if A sends any reply to the recovery body from that email address, A is treated as consenting to service of any demand note on A, by sending it by email to that email address; and
(B)
that A may, at any time, give the recovery body a notice in writing —(BA)
refusing service on A by email at that email address; and
(BB)
specifying a valid address or valid email address at which A may be served with a demand note;
(iii)
A sends a reply to the recovery body from that email address and does not give the recovery body the notice mentioned in sub-paragraph (ii)(B) in that reply; and
(iv)
in the period between the date A sends the reply and the date immediately before the day the demand note is served (both dates inclusive), A does not give the recovery body the notice mentioned in sub-paragraph (ii)(B).
(4) Service of a demand note on a person under this section takes effect —(a)
if the demand note is sent by fax and a notification of successful transmission is received, on the day of the transmission;
(b)
if the demand note is sent by email, at the time that the email becomes capable of being retrieved by the person; and
(c)
if the demand note is sent by prepaid registered post, 2 days after the day the demand note was posted (even if it is returned undelivered).
(5) In addition, the Minister may by regulations made under section 34 prescribe, in relation to an electronic service of a recovery body, that despite anything in the relevant written law, the provisions of the relevant written law (so far as relevant) apply in relation to the service by the recovery body of a demand note under this Act using the electronic service as they apply to the service of documents permitted or required to be served by the electronic service under the relevant written law, with any exceptions, modifications and adaptations that may be prescribed.
(6) Service of a demand note in accordance with any relevant written law as applied by regulations made for the purpose of subsection (5) takes effect at the time when an electronic record of it enters the person’s account with the electronic service.
(7) This section does not affect the service of a demand note in accordance with any other written law or in any manner agreed by the person to be served.
(8) In this section —“business address” has the meaning given by section 33A(8);
“demand note” means a demand note mentioned in section 11(2);
“electronic service”, in relation to a recovery body, means any prescribed system established under any written law that enables the recovery body to serve any document, and includes —(a)
if the Board is prescribed as a recovery body, the electronic service platform provided under section 74(1) of the CPF Act; and
(b)
if IRAS is prescribed as a recovery body, the system established under section 29(1) of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Act 1992;
“parent”, in relation to an insured person, means any parent of an insured person who is required under section 4(1)(c)(ii) to pay any premium for the insured person;
“relevant written law”, in relation to an electronic service, means —(a)
the written law under which the electronic service is established; and
(b)
any written law that provides for the procedure for the use of the electronic service, the circumstances in which a document may be served through the electronic service, and the manner in which a person who has been served a document through the electronic service is to be notified of such service,
and includes —
(c)
if the electronic service platform provided under section 74(1) of the CPF Act is prescribed as an electronic service, the CPF Act and any subsidiary legislation mentioned in section 74(4) or (5) of that Act; and
(d)
if the system established under section 29(1) of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Act 1992 is prescribed as an electronic service, any provision or subsidiary legislation mentioned in paragraph (a) or (c) of the definition of “relevant tax legislation” (for any document or information permitted or required under such legislation to be served or given) in section 29(7) of that Act;
“residential address” means a person’s usual or last known place of residence in Singapore and includes an address provided in accordance with section 31.
[Act 40 of 2024 wef 01/04/2025]
—(1) A demand note may be served as described in this section.
(2) A demand note may be served on a person —(a)
by giving it to the person personally;
(b)
by sending it by prepaid registered post to the address specified by the person generally for the service of documents permitted or required by or under this Act to be served or specifically for demand notes;
(c)
if no address mentioned in paragraph (b) is so specified, by sending it by prepaid registered post to —(i)
the person’s residential address;
(ii)
the person’s business address;
(iii)
any correspondence address provided by the person —(A)
in relation to the administration of this Act; or
(B)
in accordance with regulations made under section 34; or
(iv)
if the person is an insured person who has not attained 21 years of age —(A)
the residential address of the insured person’s parent;
(B)
the business address of the insured person’s parent; or
(C)
any correspondence address mentioned in sub-paragraph (iii) provided by the insured person’s parent;
(d)
by leaving it at the person’s residential address with an adult person apparently residing there, or at the person’s business address with an adult person apparently employed there;
(e)
by affixing a copy of the demand note in a conspicuous place at the person’s residential address or business address;
(f)
by sending it by fax to the fax number given by the person generally for the service of documents permitted or required by or under this Act to be served or specifically for demand notes; or
(g)
by sending it by email in any manner provided in subsection (3).
(3) For the purposes of subsection (2)(g), a demand note may be served on a person (A) —(a)
by sending it by email to the last email address given by A to the recovery body, as the email address for the service of demand notes under this Act, if A has given prior written consent to service in this manner; or
(b)
by sending it by email to an email address of A, if —(i)
the recovery body sends A an email at that email address;
(ii)
the email contains a prominent notice stating —(A)
that if A sends any reply to the recovery body from that email address, A is treated as consenting to service of any demand note on A, by sending it by email to that email address; and
(B)
that A may, at any time, give the recovery body a notice in writing —(BA)
refusing service on A by email at that email address; and
(BB)
specifying a valid address or valid email address at which A may be served with a demand note;
(iii)
A sends a reply to the recovery body from that email address and does not give the recovery body the notice mentioned in sub-paragraph (ii)(B) in that reply; and
(iv)
in the period between the date A sends the reply and the date immediately before the day the demand note is served (both dates inclusive), A does not give the recovery body the notice mentioned in sub-paragraph (ii)(B).
(4) Service of a demand note on a person under this section takes effect —(a)
if the demand note is sent by fax and a notification of successful transmission is received, on the day of the transmission;
(b)
if the demand note is sent by email, at the time that the email becomes capable of being retrieved by the person; and
(c)
if the demand note is sent by prepaid registered post, 2 days after the day the demand note was posted (even if it is returned undelivered).
(5) In addition, the Minister may by regulations made under section 34 prescribe, in relation to an electronic service of a recovery body, that despite anything in the relevant written law, the provisions of the relevant written law (so far as relevant) apply in relation to the service by the recovery body of a demand note under this Act using the electronic service as they apply to the service of documents permitted or required to be served by the electronic service under the relevant written law, with any exceptions, modifications and adaptations that may be prescribed.
(6) Service of a demand note in accordance with any relevant written law as applied by regulations made for the purpose of subsection (5) takes effect at the time when an electronic record of it enters the person’s account with the electronic service.
(7) This section does not affect the service of a demand note in accordance with any other written law or in any manner agreed by the person to be served.
(8) In this section —“business address” has the meaning given by section 33A(8);
“demand note” means a demand note mentioned in section 11(2);
“electronic service”, in relation to a recovery body, means any prescribed system established under any written law that enables the recovery body to serve any document, and includes —(a)
if the Board is prescribed as a recovery body, the electronic service platform provided under section 74(1) of the CPF Act; and
(b)
if IRAS is prescribed as a recovery body, the system established under section 29(1) of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Act 1992;
“parent”, in relation to an insured person, means any parent of an insured person who is required under section 4(1)(c)(ii) to pay any premium for the insured person;
“relevant written law”, in relation to an electronic service, means —(a)
the written law under which the electronic service is established; and
(b)
any written law that provides for the procedure for the use of the electronic service, the circumstances in which a document may be served through the electronic service, and the manner in which a person who has been served a document through the electronic service is to be notified of such service,
and includes —
(c)
if the electronic service platform provided under section 74(1) of the CPF Act is prescribed as an electronic service, the CPF Act and any subsidiary legislation mentioned in section 74(4) or (5) of that Act; and
(d)
if the system established under section 29(1) of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Act 1992 is prescribed as an electronic service, any provision or subsidiary legislation mentioned in paragraph (a) or (c) of the definition of “relevant tax legislation” (for any document or information permitted or required under such legislation to be served or given) in section 29(7) of that Act;
“residential address” means a person’s usual or last known place of residence in Singapore and includes an address provided in accordance with section 31.
Regulations
34.—(1) The Minister may make regulations for carrying out the purposes and provisions of this Act.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), such regulations may —(a)
despite section 3(3), provide for the circumstances in which a person ceases to be an insured person or may be reinstated as an insured person, including —(i)
refunds and payments to be made to adjust for such changes; and
(ii)
interest paid into that person’s medisave account to be deducted and paid to the general moneys of the Central Provident Fund;
(b)
impose premium loading for insured persons who do not satisfy the Board that they have no pre‑existing medical conditions;[Act 40 of 2024 wef 01/04/2025]
(c)
prescribe the benefits payable under the Scheme (which may differ for different classes of insured persons) and make provision for claims for such benefits, including —(i)
the circumstances in which an insured person is entitled to claim such benefits, including limiting benefits to any approved medical treatment or services which are assessed by the Council or a committee appointed under section 8(4) to be appropriate in the circumstances of any particular case;
(ii)
the form and manner of submitting claims under the Scheme, including provision for direct submission of such claims by approved medical institutions; and
(iii)
providing for any payments which an insured person is liable to make under this Act to be deducted from the benefits payable to that person;
(d)
prescribe the circumstances for imposing and the manner of computing premiums (which may be at different rates for different classes of insured persons), interest (including compound interest) under section 11(1)(a) and penalties imposed under section 17, and the order in which payments are applied to such premiums, interest and penalties;[Act 40 of 2024 wef 01/04/2025]
(e)
prescribe the circumstances in which premiums, interest under section 11(1)(a) and penalties imposed under section 17 are payable by a person (other than an insured person) and may be deducted from that person’s medisave account under section 4(2)(b);
(f)
provide for any payment under this Act to be deducted from the medisave account of the person liable to make that payment;
(g)
provide for the refund of any premium, interest under section 11(1)(a), penalty under section 17 or other payment made under this Act (called in this paragraph the refunded payment), including —(i)
the rate, manner or circumstances for the refund to be made;
(ii)
for any payments which the insured person is liable to make under this Act to be deducted from the amount to be refunded; and
(iii)
if the refunded payment was deducted from an account of a CPF member in the Central Provident Fund, the refund, to that or any other account of that CPF member in the Central Provident Fund, of the whole or such part of the interest which would have been payable if the refunded payment had not been so deducted;
(h)
prescribe the fees and charges for the purposes of this Act;
(i)
provide in respect of any offence under the regulations —(i)
in a case where the offender is an individual, for a penalty not exceeding a fine of $5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both for each offence; or
(ii)
in any other case, for a penalty not exceeding a fine of $10,000 for each offence;
(j)
provide, in any case where a CPF member or the CPF member’s dependant is insured under a medical insurance scheme or other insurance scheme approved by the Minister, for —(i)
the withdrawal of money from the CPF member’s medisave account for the payment of any premium payable by the CPF member or the dependant in respect of the medical insurance scheme or other insurance scheme;
(ii)
the refund of any premium paid by the CPF member or the dependant in respect of the medical insurance scheme or other insurance scheme, the circumstances under which any such refund is to be made, and the determination of the manner in which any such refund will be made (including the person who will make any such determination);
(iii)
the payment of any rebate given in respect of the medical insurance scheme or other insurance scheme, the circumstances under which any such payment will be made, and the determination of the manner in which any such payment will be made (including the person who will make any such determination);
(iv)
the insurer to pay administrative fees to the Board for any material change or error in relation to any withdrawal, refund or payment by the Board arising from incorrect information provided by the insurer or from such other circumstances as may be prescribed; and
(v)
transitional provisions for a medical insurance scheme or other insurance scheme approved by the Minister for the purposes of this paragraph, if regulations made under section 77(1)(k) of the CPF Act applying to that medical insurance scheme or other insurance scheme are revoked;
(k)
[Deleted by Act 40 of 2024 wef 01/04/2025]
(l)
exempt any person or class of persons from the Scheme or any provision of this Act, or modify the application of this Act in relation to any person insured under the Scheme by virtue of section 35(1) or any other class of persons;
(m)
prescribe the circumstances for the termination of insurance cover under the Scheme in relation to any person or class of persons insured under the Scheme by virtue of section 35(1);
(n)
make transitional and saving provisions for the MediShield Fund and MediShield Scheme, including for the payment of benefits, the recovery of premiums payable and the refund of payments made under that Scheme on or after 1 November 2015;
(o)
make financial provisions in relation to the Fund and the Scheme, including the audit of the Fund and the Scheme and the submission of reports on the administration and enforcement of the Fund or the Scheme; and
(p)
prescribe anything that is required or permitted to be prescribed under this Act.
(3) The regulations made under this Act may make different provisions for different classes of persons.
(4) All regulations made under this Act are to be presented to Parliament as soon as possible after publication in the Gazette.
Transitional and saving provisions
35.—(1) Every person who, not being a citizen or permanent resident of Singapore, is an insured person under the MediShield Scheme immediately before 1 November 2015 continues to be insured under the Scheme —(a)
with such modifications as may be prescribed in the relevant regulations; and
(b)
until that insurance cover is terminated under the relevant regulations.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (1), the Scheme does not apply to any person who is not a citizen or permanent resident of Singapore.
(3) Section 13(1)(b) of the CPF Act in force before 1 November 2015 continues to apply to withdrawals from a person’s medisave account for the payment of premiums payable for insurance cover under the MediShield Scheme as if that section was not amended by this Act.
(4) Section 16A of the CPF Act in force before 1 November 2015 continues to apply to premiums payable for a person’s insurance cover under the MediShield Scheme as if that section was not amended by this Act.
(5) Section 53A of the CPF Act in force immediately before 1 November 2015 continues to apply to any thing done before that date by any person who was below the age of 16 years or 21 years (as the case may be) when that thing was done.
Source: Singapore Statutes Online (Attorney-General's Chambers), © Government of Singapore.
