Pioneer Generation Package
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Pioneer Generation Package (PGP) is a S$9 billion package launched by the
Government of Singapore The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of Singapore to mean the executive branch of the state, which is made up of the president and the Cabinet. Although the president acts in their personal discretion in the exercise ...
in 2014, aimed at helping pioneering Singaporeans to meet retirement adequacy. PGP is designed as a series of healthcare and social support schemes to show gratitude towards pioneer
Singaporeans Singaporeans, or the Singaporean people, refers to Singaporean nationality law, citizens or people who identify with the sovereign island city-state of Singapore. Singapore is a multiracialism, multi-ethnic, multiculturalism, multi-cultural an ...
for their contributions to
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
during the nation's nascency. The package covers approximately 450,000 pioneer Singaporeans over an estimated 20-year period. The package defines a "Pioneer" as a Singaporean born on or before 31 December 1949 and obtained citizenship before 31 December 1986. The Pioneer Generation Office was set up in 2014 to educate seniors about the PGP. This office was merged with the Agency for Integrated Care and renamed the Silver Generation Office from 1 April 2018 and will be managed by the Ministry of Health in a bid to streamline care for the elderly.


Benefits


Medisave Top Ups

Under the PGP, pioneers will receive S$200 – S$800
Medisave Medisave is a national medical savings account system in Singapore, introduced in April 1984. The contribution is mandatory and taken from the monthly Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution. The system allows Singaporeans to put aside part of ...
top-ups yearly for life. Those born between 1945 – 1949 will receive S$200 a year, while those born in 1934 and earlier will receive S$800 a year. The first top-ups were automatically credited into Pioneer's Medisave accounts in August 2014.


MediShield Life

Seniors will receive subsidies for their MediShield Life premiums. MediShield is the universal health insurance scheme that covers all Singaporeans for life. The subsidies range from 40% discount for those aged 65 to 60% discounts for those aged 90.


Outpatient Bills

Pioneers will receive an additional 50% discount off their net bill for subsidised services and medications at Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs) and polyclinics. Pioneers will also be included under Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), a scheme introduced in 2012 that subsidises visits to participating general practitioners and dentists. There are around 1,650 CHAS clinics in Singapore and more than 97% of CHAS or Pioneer Generation Package card holders have more than one CHAS clinic within 1 km of their homes or around 15 minutes by public transportation.


Disabilities Assistance

The Pioneer Generation Disability Scheme provides $1,200 cash for those suffering from moderate to severe functional disabilities. This is defined as those who need assistance for three out of six of daily living activities like washing, dressing, feeding, toiling, mobility and transferring.


Communication and Outreach

In order to reach the pioneer citizens, the
Ministry of Communications and Information The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI; ms, Kementerian Perhubungan dan Penerangan; zh, 通讯及新闻部; ta, தொடர்பு, தகவல் அமைச்சு) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore respons ...
and the 22 member task force — involving policy makers, the private sector health care institutions and voluntary welfare organisations — who were focused on communication and outreach of the PGP turned to broadcast media on top of the traditional print advertisements. They also set up the Pioneer Generation Ambassador pilot where ambassadors go door-to-door to raise awareness of the package.


Pioneer Generation Ambassadors

The Pioneer Generation Ambassador (PGA) Programme was set up on 1 August 2014. The PGA are volunteers who are tasked to engage Pioneers and their caregivers to explain the benefits of the PGP. By the end of November 2016, PGAs have successfully visited three in four pioneers to offer personalised resources and information. Since July 2015, PGAs have been tasked to expand their reach to all senior citizens above age 65 to connect them to community activities, to provide details on MediShield Life and other related support measures. During each visit, PGA inquire about Pioneer's health in order to offer personalised explanations of PGP and other healthcare policies according to the unique situation of each senior. In subsequent visits, PGA follow up with relevant health conditions to assess the need for further explanation or assistance.


Mass Communication Efforts

The communication and outreach of the PGP turned to broadcast media on top of the traditional print advertisements that the Government were accustomed to adopting. The
Ministry of Communications and Information The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI; ms, Kementerian Perhubungan dan Penerangan; zh, 通讯及新闻部; ta, தொடர்பு, தகவல் அமைச்சு) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore respons ...
produced a series of videos and communication materials to inform the pioneers of the benefits of the package. The videos adopted familiar languages, formats and activities such as dialects, fortune telling, getai and mahjong.


Effectiveness and Sentiments

Based on
Ministry of Communications and Information The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI; ms, Kementerian Perhubungan dan Penerangan; zh, 通讯及新闻部; ta, தொடர்பு, தகவல் அமைச்சு) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore respons ...
’s survey conducted in August 2015, 96% of Pioneers were aware of the PGP and 87% felt assured that their healthcare costs would be made more affordable.


See also

*
Merdeka Generation Package The Merdeka Generation Package (MGP) is an S$8 billion package announced by the Government of Singapore at the 2018 National Day Rally, aimed to assist Singaporeans born in the 1950s with their active ageing and reduce medical bills as they age. Th ...


References

{{Reflist 2014 establishments in Singapore * Singapore government policies