Benefits that continue across jobs
Portable medical benefits remain with employees when they change employers, unlike conventional employer-only coverage. Qualifying schemes can raise the medical-expense tax-deduction ceiling from the normal 1% to 2% of total employee remuneration; allowable expenses reduce taxable income rather than being a reimbursement of their full cost. Local employees mean citizens/PRs on full-time or part-time employment contracts, irrespective of hours.
| Scheme | Coverage | Condition for 2% ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| PMBS | Monthly extra MediSave contributions funding MediShield Life or Integrated Shield premiums. Full-time: at least 1% of gross monthly salary, minimum S$16 per calendar month. Part-time: 1% of actual monthly gross salary. | Cover at least 20% of locals at the financial-year start and all locals joining during that year. |
| TMIS | Enhanced group hospital/surgical insurance extends inpatient cover up to 12 months after departure. Moving to another TMIS employer preserves continuous insurance without pre-existing-condition exclusion. | Cover at least 50% of locals at the financial-year start. |
| Shield plan | Employer pays MediShield Life or Integrated Shield premiums directly to insurer or reimburses into MediSave. Pro-rate for a partial employment year. If employee keeps another insurer’s plan, credit the employer-selected plan’s premium into MediSave. | Cover at least 20% of locals at year-start and all joining locals; employer must pay directly or reimburse premiums into MediSave. |
Ad-hoc MediSave contributions
Even without adopting a portable scheme, ad-hoc MediSave contributions can obtain a deduction beyond the normal 1% ceiling, up to S$2,730 per employee yearly, within the overall 2% medical-expense limit. Contributions are tax-free to employees. Apply to CPF Board’s Employer and Accounts Management Section for a new CPF Submission Number before additional contributions.
Official assistance
MOM: 6438 5122; CPF: 1800 227 1188. IRAS contacts listed by MOM are 1800 356 8300 for individual, 1800 356 8622 for corporate and 1800 356 8611 for business income tax. Mobile calls to 1800 lines may incur airtime charges. The related FAQ collection is retained below.
Related topics and services
Official documents and references
- MediShield Life ↗ Government source
- apply for a new CPF Submission Number (CSN) ↗ Government source