Many new public service employees who fall under MSO scheme, do not seem to understand that the 1% additional medisave paid to them is for them to take personal responsibility to take up a Shield Plan for hospital and surgical coverage. Many are sadly unaware of this and some end up hospitalised with no such plan in place to cushion off heavy hospitalisation needs.
Since 1994, when the MSO was introduced, NTUC Income and commercial insurers were asked to introduce a Shield Plan, but only NTUC Income is willing to underwrite and thus Incomeshield was offered. Many years after, commercial insurers find it viable and start to jump in to offer Shield Plans as well.
This is good as competition results in better Shield Plans today.
Following is excerpt taken from http://www.ps21.gov.sg/challenge/2007_01/staff/staff.html
Medical and life insurance – what every public officer should know
PUBLIC SERVICE MEDICAL BENEFITS
The prevailing medical benefit scheme in the Public Service is the Medisave-cum-Subsidised Outpatient (MSO) Scheme.Officers joining the Public Service after 1 January 1994 are placed on this scheme. Officers who were in service before this date are either on the Co-Payment on Ward Charges (CPW) or Comprehensive Co-Payment (CCS) scheme, where they will co-pay a portion of their inpatient and outpatient treatment in accordance with the co-payment percentage stipulated under each scheme.An officer under the MSO scheme enjoys medical subsidies, capped at $350 annually, for his outpatient treatment. He also receives an additional 1% Medisave contribution in lieu of inpatient subsidy.Unlike officers on the older CPW and CCS schemes who do not receive any benefits if they remain healthy, an MSO officer will receive the unused balance of his $350 outpatient entitlement and the 1% contribution, which are credited into his Medisave account, even if he remains healthy.
Since 1994, when the MSO was introduced, NTUC Income and commercial insurers were asked to introduce a Shield Plan, but only NTUC Income is willing to underwrite and thus Incomeshield was offered. Many years after, commercial insurers find it viable and start to jump in to offer Shield Plans as well.
This is good as competition results in better Shield Plans today.
Following is excerpt taken from http://www.ps21.gov.sg/challenge/2007_01/staff/staff.html
Medical and life insurance – what every public officer should know
PUBLIC SERVICE MEDICAL BENEFITS
The prevailing medical benefit scheme in the Public Service is the Medisave-cum-Subsidised Outpatient (MSO) Scheme.Officers joining the Public Service after 1 January 1994 are placed on this scheme. Officers who were in service before this date are either on the Co-Payment on Ward Charges (CPW) or Comprehensive Co-Payment (CCS) scheme, where they will co-pay a portion of their inpatient and outpatient treatment in accordance with the co-payment percentage stipulated under each scheme.An officer under the MSO scheme enjoys medical subsidies, capped at $350 annually, for his outpatient treatment. He also receives an additional 1% Medisave contribution in lieu of inpatient subsidy.Unlike officers on the older CPW and CCS schemes who do not receive any benefits if they remain healthy, an MSO officer will receive the unused balance of his $350 outpatient entitlement and the 1% contribution, which are credited into his Medisave account, even if he remains healthy.
