🧠 MediSave · CareShield Life · Long-Term Care · ADL · Supplement 2026

CareShield Life Premium Calculator Singapore 2026
Annual Premium by Age & Gender, Lifelong Benefit Growth & Break-Even Analysis

Calculate your exact CareShield Life annual premium by age and gender — paid from MediSave until age 67. See your total remaining lifetime premiums, how the monthly benefit grows at ~2% per year from S$600/mo, the break-even point when payouts recover total premiums, and how CareShield Life compares to the old ElderShield scheme. Includes CareShield Life supplement option.

✓ Male & Female Premium Tables ✓ Cumulative Premium to Age 67 ✓ Benefit Grows 2%/yr ✓ Break-Even Analysis ✓ CareShield vs ElderShield
Base Benefit (2026)~S$675/mo
Benefit grows~2%/yr
Premiums stopAge 67
CoverageLifelong
Trigger3 of 6 ADLs
🧠 CareShield Life Inputs
Your Gender

Female premiums are approximately 35–40% higher than male premiums at the same age. This reflects the higher statistical probability of women requiring long-term care and their longer average lifespan.

Your Age & Status
years

Members born 1980 or later are automatically enrolled at age 30. Members born 1970–1979 were enrolled in 2020–2021. Premiums increase every year as you age, stopping completely at 67. Coverage continues for life after 67 at no further cost.

Auto-enrolled members who joined at age 30 will have accumulated premiums from age 30. Voluntary joiners who joined at current age have lower total premiums paid to date.

CareShield Life Supplement

Private insurers offer CareShield Life supplements that top up the monthly benefit by approximately S$1,200/mo or more, funded from MediSave. Supplements have separate premiums and their own terms.

🧠 CareShield Life Analysis
🧠

Select your gender, enter your age, and choose your enrolment status to see your 2026 annual premium, total remaining premiums to age 67, monthly benefit growth projection, and break-even analysis. Compare CareShield Life vs the old ElderShield scheme.

Annual Premium by Age (purple bars) & Cumulative Total (green line)

CareShield Life Premium Table Singapore 2026 — Male vs Female Annual Premiums, ADL Trigger & Lifelong S$675/mo Benefit

CareShield Life is Singapore’s mandatory long-term care (LTC) insurance scheme launched in October 2020. It covers all Singapore Citizens and PRs born in 1980 or later, with older cohorts transitioning from ElderShield. The scheme pays a lifelong monthly cash benefit — starting at S$600/mo in 2020 and growing approximately 2% per year (reaching approximately S$675/mo by 2026) — when a member is severely disabled and unable to perform 3 or more of the 6 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs): washing, dressing, feeding, toileting, walking or moving, and transferring. The benefit has no time cap — it continues for life, unlike the old ElderShield which stopped after 72 months (6 years).

CareShield Life 2026 Annual Premium Table — Male vs Female by Entry Age

Entry AgeMale Annual PremiumFemale Annual PremiumMonthly Equiv (M)Monthly Equiv (F)Premiums Paid to 67
30S$206S$280~S$17/mo~S$23/mo~38 yrs
35S$286S$388~S$24/mo~S$32/mo~32 yrs
40S$398S$538~S$33/mo~S$45/mo~27 yrs
45S$551S$745~S$46/mo~S$62/mo~22 yrs
50S$761S$1,027~S$63/mo~S$86/mo~17 yrs
55S$1,045S$1,411~S$87/mo~S$118/mo~12 yrs
60S$1,427S$1,929~S$119/mo~S$161/mo~7 yrs

CareShield Life vs Old ElderShield — Why CareShield Life Is a Fundamentally Better Scheme

FeatureElderShield (Old)CareShield Life (2020+)
Monthly benefitS$300 or S$400/moS$600/mo (2020), growing ~2%/yr
Benefit duration72 months (6 years) capLifelong ∞
Maximum total payoutS$28,800Unlimited
ADL trigger3 of 6 ADLs3 of 6 ADLs (same)
Premiums stopAge 65Age 67
MandatoryOnly 1990 cohort onwardsAll SC/PR born 1980+
Pre-existing disabilityMay excludeIncluded

How This CareShield Life Calculator Works — Gender-Split Premiums, Benefit Growth Projection & Break-Even

Step 1 — Select Gender and Enter Age

CareShield Life uses separate premium tables for males and females. At age 40, a male member pays approximately S$398/yr vs a female member at S$538/yr — a 35% difference. This actuarial difference reflects the higher probability of severe disability in women and their longer average lifespan (meaning more years of potential benefit payment). Select your gender using the Male/Female toggle, then enter your age. The calculator instantly shows your 2026 annual premium, monthly equivalent, and years remaining to age 67.

Step 2 — Cumulative Premiums and Benefit Growth

The calculator computes the total remaining premiums to age 67 (summing each year’s premium as they increase) and estimates premiums already paid if you were auto-enrolled at 30. The benefit growth projection uses the ~2%/yr annual increment from the S$600/mo base in 2020 — showing what your monthly benefit would be if you claimed in 5, 10, or 15 years from now.

Step 3 — Break-Even and ElderShield Comparison

The break-even shows how many months of benefit payments recover your total lifetime premiums. For a male member who pays approximately S$28,000 in total premiums and claims at S$675/mo, the break-even is approximately 41 months (3.4 years) of receiving the benefit — after which every month of payment is pure protection gain above what was paid in. The ElderShield comparison shows why CareShield Life is a dramatically better deal: unlimited lifelong payouts vs the old S$28,800 lifetime cap.

3 Real Singapore CareShield Life Examples — Male 35, Female 50 & Late Joiner 60

Auto-Enrolled Male, Age 35

2026 annual premiumS$286/yr
Already paid (since 30)~S$1,140
Remaining to age 67~S$31,000
Current benefit (2026)~S$675/mo
Break-even (at claim)~3.8 yrs payouts
ElderShield maxS$28,800 (72 mo)

Female Auto-Enrolled, Age 50

2026 annual premiumS$1,027/yr
Already paid (since 30)~S$10,200
Remaining to age 67~S$22,800
Total lifetime premiums~S$33,000
Break-even (at claim)~4.1 yrs payouts
Lifelong payout valueUnlimited

Male Voluntary Joiner, Age 60

2026 annual premiumS$1,427/yr
Premiums to age 67~S$11,600
Current benefit (2026)~S$675/mo
Break-even~1.4 yrs payouts
ElderShield alternativeS$28,800 cap
CareShield valueLifelong ∞

3 Expert CareShield Life Tips — Supplement Strategy, Female Premium Planning & Late-Joiner Break-Even

1

Buy a CareShield Life Supplement Early — The Monthly Benefit at S$675/mo Is Insufficient for Real LTC Costs

The average monthly cost of a nursing home in Singapore in 2026 is approximately S$1,500–S$2,500/month, and professional live-in caregiver costs run S$2,000–S$3,500/month. CareShield Life’s base S$675/mo benefit covers only 25–45% of real long-term care costs. A CareShield Life supplement from a private insurer (Great Eastern, Income, Singlife, Prudential) adds approximately S$1,200–S$2,000/mo in additional monthly benefit — fully payable from MediSave. At age 30, a male supplement premium is only approximately S$60–S$80/month from MediSave — a very low cost for coverage that could pay out S$1,875/month or more for life. Buy supplements early: premiums are lower at younger ages and some insurers apply health underwriting that becomes more restrictive with age. Do not rely on CareShield Life alone for LTC planning.

2

Female Members: Factor the Higher CareShield Premium into Your MediSave Planning

A female member aged 50 pays approximately S$1,027/yr in CareShield Life premiums vs a male’s S$761/yr — a difference of S$266/yr or approximately S$22/month from MediSave. Over the 17 remaining premium-paying years (50 to 67), this gender premium gap accumulates to approximately S$4,500 more in total premiums. The trade-off is fair: women have a higher lifetime probability of severe disability and a longer period of potential payout given longer average lifespan. Female members approaching 50 should model their total MediSave outflows — CareShield premiums + MediShield Life premiums + CDMP costs + supplement premiums — against expected MediSave inflows from CPF contributions to ensure no shortfall before the contribution years end (typically at retirement or 65).

3

Late Joiners (Born Before 1970) Have the Best Break-Even — Opt In Now If You Haven’t

Singaporeans born before 1970 were on ElderShield and can opt into CareShield Life voluntarily. For a 60-year-old voluntary joiner, the total remaining premiums to age 67 are approximately S$11,600 (male) or S$15,600 (female). At the current S$675/mo benefit level, the break-even is just 17 months (M) or 23 months (F) of receiving the benefit — far shorter than a member who joins at 30 and pays for 37 years. The insurance is cheapest in terms of break-even for late joiners — even though the annual premium is higher, the total lifetime premiums are much lower. If you are in your 50s or early 60s and not yet on CareShield Life, the opt-in window closes at age 60 for most. Contact the CareShield Life team at 1800-222-3399 or careshieldlife.gov.sg to apply before the deadline.

16 FAQs — CareShield Life Singapore 2026, Premiums, ADL Trigger, Supplements & ElderShield

What is CareShield Life and who must enroll?+
CareShield Life is Singapore’s mandatory long-term care (LTC) insurance scheme launched in October 2020. It provides a lifelong monthly cash benefit when a policyholder is severely disabled — unable to perform 3 or more of the 6 Activities of Daily Living. All Singapore Citizens and PRs born in 1980 or later are automatically enrolled at age 30. Those born between 1970 and 1979 were given the option to join in 2020–2021 (now mandatory for those who were enrolled in ElderShield and meeting criteria). Singaporeans born before 1970 may join voluntarily. CareShield Life replaced the older ElderShield scheme as Singapore’s national LTC insurance.
What are the 6 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) for CareShield Life?+
The 6 ADLs are: (1) Washing — ability to wash oneself independently; (2) Dressing — ability to put on and remove clothing; (3) Feeding — ability to feed oneself; (4) Toileting — ability to use a toilet or commode; (5) Walking or moving around — ability to walk or use a wheelchair; (6) Transferring — ability to move between a bed, a chair, or a wheelchair. Being unable to perform 3 or more of these 6 ADLs constitutes a qualifying disability for CareShield Life benefits. The assessment is done by an appointed assessor (not the policyholder’s own doctor) and must be approved by CareShield Life’s administrator.
Why are female CareShield Life premiums higher than male premiums?+
Female premiums are approximately 35–40% higher than male premiums at the same age because of two actuarial factors: (1) Higher probability of severe disability: women have a statistically higher lifetime chance of requiring long-term care, due to health conditions that more commonly affect older women; (2) Longer average lifespan: women live longer on average than men, meaning more years of potential benefit payment. CareShield Life premiums are therefore gender-differentiated to reflect these actuarial differences and keep the scheme financially sustainable. This is a standard actuarial practice for LTC insurance globally.
When do CareShield Life premiums stop?+
CareShield Life premiums are paid annually from the enrolment age until age 67, after which no further premiums are due. However, coverage continues for life — you remain insured and can claim the monthly benefit at any age after 67 if you become severely disabled. If you become disabled (3 of 6 ADLs) before age 67, premiums are waived from the date the disability is certified — you stop paying but benefits begin immediately.
How much is the CareShield Life monthly benefit in 2026?+
The CareShield Life monthly benefit started at S$600/month in October 2020 and increases by approximately 2% per year. By 2026, the monthly benefit is approximately S$675/month. The benefit grows each year throughout the scheme’s life, reflecting a commitment to keep up with inflation in long-term care costs. If you are severely disabled and claim in 2030, the monthly benefit would be approximately S$745/month. The benefit continues for life — there is no cap on total payout (unlike ElderShield’s 72-month maximum).
Are CareShield Life premiums paid from MediSave or cash?+
Annual CareShield Life premiums are fully payable from MediSave — no cash is needed. The premium is automatically deducted from MediSave by the scheme administrator each year. If your MediSave balance is insufficient to cover the premium, CPF Board may allow a deferment. CareShield Life supplements (from private insurers) are also payable from MediSave, within the MediSave withdrawal limits for supplements. Only riders that provide extra benefits beyond the standard supplement may require partial cash payment.
How does CareShield Life compare to the old ElderShield scheme?+
CareShield Life is significantly superior to ElderShield in all key dimensions: Monthly benefit: CareShield S$675/mo (2026) vs ElderShield S$300–S$400/mo. Duration: CareShield pays for life vs ElderShield’s maximum 72 months (6 years). Maximum total payout: CareShield is unlimited vs ElderShield’s S$28,800 cap. Premium growth: CareShield benefit grows ~2%/yr; ElderShield benefit was fixed. Pre-existing conditions: CareShield covers them; ElderShield could exclude them. The key risk with ElderShield: a member who lived for 10+ years with severe disability would exhaust the S$28,800 cap after 6 years and receive nothing thereafter. CareShield Life eliminates this longevity risk entirely.
What is a CareShield Life supplement and should I get one?+
A CareShield Life supplement is a private insurance policy (from Great Eastern, Income, Prudential, or Singlife) that tops up the CareShield Life monthly benefit. Supplements can increase the total monthly payout by S$1,000–S$2,500/mo or more, with higher benefits for more severe disability levels. Supplement premiums are payable from MediSave. Given that CareShield Life’s base benefit of ~S$675/mo covers only about 25–45% of real nursing home or caregiver costs in Singapore, a supplement is strongly recommended — especially for women (who have higher LTC probability) and those with family history of age-related disability. Buy supplements at a younger age (30–45) for the lowest premiums and to avoid potential underwriting exclusions that apply at older ages.
How do I make a CareShield Life claim?+
To claim: (1) Contact the CareShield Life administrator (currently Singlife with Aviva); (2) Arrange for an assessment by an approved assessor — not your own doctor, but a certified assessor from a MOH-approved panel; (3) The assessor evaluates your ability to perform the 6 ADLs; (4) If 3 or more ADLs cannot be performed, the disability is certified and the monthly benefit begins within 30 days; (5) Benefits are paid directly to your bank account monthly. Re-assessment may be required periodically. For supplements, submit a separate claim to the private insurer simultaneously. Call the CareShield Life hotline at 1800-222-3399 or visit careshieldlife.gov.sg.
What happens to CareShield Life if I die?+
On death, CareShield Life benefit payments cease. There is no death benefit or premium refund — CareShield Life is a pure insurance scheme (pooled), not a savings vehicle. If you die without ever making a claim, your premiums are retained by the scheme pool — they cannot be claimed by your estate or nominated beneficiaries. This is the standard structure for any insurance annuity or pooled disability scheme. The trade-off: while your premiums are non-refundable on death, the scheme provides potentially unlimited financial protection if you do become severely disabled.
Can I opt out of CareShield Life?+
No. CareShield Life is mandatory for Singapore Citizens and PRs born in 1980 or later who were enrolled during the original enrolment period. There is no opt-out option for eligible members. You may apply for a premium deferment if you are facing genuine financial hardship (contact the administrator at careshieldlife.gov.sg). Members who were on ElderShield and chose not to join CareShield Life during the transition period (2020–2021) may have limited options to join later. For the oldest cohort (born before 1970) who are voluntary joiners, they can choose not to enrol — but they would then rely on ElderShield (if held) or personal savings for LTC needs.
What is the CareShield Life claims experience and probability of making a claim?+
According to MOH data, approximately 1 in 2 Singaporeans aged 65 today is expected to have some form of disability before death, and about 1 in 3 will develop severe disability (meeting the 3-of-6 ADL threshold for CareShield Life). Women have a higher probability than men. The average duration of severe disability in Singapore is approximately 3–4 years — but for some conditions (stroke, dementia), disability can last 10–20+ years. This is the key risk that CareShield Life’s lifelong payout addresses — ElderShield’s 72-month cap was wholly inadequate for members who became disabled in their early 70s and needed care into their late 80s or 90s.
How does CareShield Life interact with ElderShield for the transition cohort (born 1970–1979)?+
Members born between 1970 and 1979 who were on ElderShield had the option to join CareShield Life during the 2020–2021 enrolment period. Those who joined: (1) Their ElderShield policy was replaced by CareShield Life; (2) Any ElderShield premiums already paid were credited toward CareShield Life; (3) CareShield Life premium obligations began from 2020. Those who chose to remain on ElderShield: retain their ElderShield coverage (maximum S$28,800 cap, S$300–S$400/mo) but cannot upgrade to CareShield Life later for the same cohort benefit. For this cohort, joining CareShield Life in 2020–2021 was almost always the better financial decision due to the dramatically higher benefit and no lifetime cap.
Are CareShield Life premiums tax deductible?+
CareShield Life premiums paid from MediSave are not directly income tax deductible as a standalone deduction (unlike SRS contributions or charitable donations). However, MediSave contributions themselves are not taxable income — so the premiums are effectively pre-tax funded through the CPF system. CareShield Life supplement premiums paid from MediSave are similarly not directly deductible. Members should not expect a separate tax benefit from CareShield premiums beyond the pre-tax nature of MediSave contributions.
Can PRs claim CareShield Life benefits?+
Yes. Singapore PRs who are enrolled in CareShield Life can claim benefits if they meet the 3-of-6 ADL disability criteria. The claim process and benefit amounts are identical to those for Singapore Citizens. If a PR emigrates and later renounces PR status, their CareShield Life coverage ceases — there is no option to continue the scheme from overseas, and no premium refund. PRs planning to emigrate should factor the loss of CareShield Life coverage into their LTC planning and consider whether a private LTC policy (available internationally) is needed to fill the gap.
Where can I check my CareShield Life premium and coverage status?+
Log in to Singpass at my.cpf.gov.sg → Healthcare → CareShield Life. You can see: your annual premium, enrolment date, coverage status, and benefit level. Alternatively, visit the CareShield Life portal at careshieldlife.gov.sg. For claims, supplements, or changes to your CareShield Life, contact the scheme administrator (Singlife with Aviva) at 1800-222-3399. For general CPF MediSave queries related to premium deductions, contact CPF Board.

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DI cover alongside CareShield LIFE
Legal Disclaimer & Editorial Transparency. CareShield Life premium figures are indicative 2026 estimates. Premiums increase annually with age — this calculator models annual premium progression from current age to 67. Male and female premiums differ significantly (females approximately 35–40% higher). Base monthly benefit S$600/mo (October 2020), growing at ~2%/yr compounded; by 2026 approximately S$675/mo. Break-even uses current (2026) benefit level and does not account for future benefit growth. Supplement benefit figure (+S$1,200/mo) is indicative — actual supplement terms and amounts vary by insurer and plan. ElderShield comparison uses S$400/mo benefit and 72-month cap as illustrative figures. CareShield Life is administered by Singlife with Aviva under MOH oversight. Verify your exact premium and coverage at careshieldlife.gov.sg or call 1800-222-3399. Not financial or medical advice. Operated by MAFHH INTERNATIONAL LTD.