How The CHAS Card In Singapore Works And Subsidies You Can Get

All Singapore citizens are eligible for CHAS. Read on to find out what subsidies you can benefit from!

As Singaporeans, whether or not you agree that we are generally well taken care of, there are certain issues that are at the forefront of our minds. Enrolment of a child into one’s preferred school, to rising costs of housing and affordability of healthcare, is just the tip of the iceberg. And it’s not a matter of being kiasu or not. Chas subsidies in Singapore

For the average Singaporean, falling sick is no doubt one of the topmost concerns. Not simply because of the coronavirus outbreak that is happening, but that healthcare costs can get pretty steep.

But at least there are certain schemes, like the CHAS card in Singapore, put in place to help alleviate these costs.

Who Is Eligible For Green CHAS Card?

One such support is the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) that is available to ALL Singapore Citizens.

All Singapore Citizens, including Pioneer Generation (PG) and Merdeka Generation (MG) seniors, will receive special subsidies on their medical and/or dental care at participating General Practitioner (GP) and dental clinics.

Simply flash your CHAS card in Singapore to any of the participating GP or healthcare centres for a subsidised fee.

That said, not everyone will receive the same amount of subsidies. There are CHAS criteria to determine which of the three tiers you are eligible for under CHAS Green, CHAS Orange or CHAS Blue.

The CHAS Blue tier provides the most subsidies, eligible for those with an average household income per person of $1,200 or below. It is then followed by the orange, then green with the least subsidies.

Residents who qualify for CHAS card in Singapore can now use the digital card on the Singpass mobile app. At any CHAS clinic, they can now utilise their digital or physical card.

The CHAS criteria in deciding which tier you belong to include

Household monthly income per person

Photo: Screengrab from CHAS

This means the total gross household monthly income divided by a total number of family members sharing the same address (as reflected on the NRIC or Birth Certificate). You can use the calculator here.

Annual Value (AV) of the home

The Annual Value of your home is the estimated annual rent if it is rented out. It is assessed by IRAS.

Each household is required to submit an application in order to receive CHAS subsidies. | Photo: Screengrab from CHAS.

^The entire gross monthly revenue of the household divided by the total number of family members residing together is the household income per person. Gross monthly income refers to your basic employment income, trade/self-employed income, overtime pay, allowances, cash awards, commissions, and bonuses.

^^The anticipated gross yearly rent of a property, excluding furnishings and maintenance costs, is its annual value if it were to be rented out. The determination is made by IRAS, and you can check it at mytax.iras.gov.sg. After the CHAS AV level is increased on January 1, 2024, existing CHAS cardholders without household income who qualify for a CHAS card with higher subsidies will automatically receive new cards in February 2024 without having to reapply.

Even though all Singaporeans are qualified for CHAS, enrollment is still based on applications. In order to get subsidies under CHAS, households must fill out an application.

Singaporean citizens who possess a Public Assistance (PA) card are exempt from applying for Child Health Services (CHAS) since they can obtain full CHAS subsidies just by presenting their PA card.

Calculate your household monthly income per person here.

What Subsidies/Benefits Will I Get From CHAS at CHAS Clinics?

For common illnesses, households with a blue CHAS card can receive up to $18.50 subsidy per visit.

As for chronic conditions (selected), depending on severity, a blue CHAS cardholder can receive up to $80 per visit, and capped at $320 per year.

Blue CHAS cardholders will also receive subsidies for selected dental services. Depending on the type of procedure done, you can receive subsidies ranging from $11 to $256.50 per procedure.

Here’s a table of subsidies that CHAS, Merdeka Generation and Pioneer Generation cardholders are eligible for:

A comprehensive table of subsidies CHAS, Pioneer and Merdeka Generation cardholders are eligible for. | Source

For full details on subsidies across the various CHAS cards including the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation cards, please visit here.

CHAS Card in Singapore: How Do I Apply For It?

While every Singapore Citizen is eligible for CHAS, households are required to submit an application in order to receive CHAS subsidies.

21 years and older

You have to be at least 21 years and older to submit an application on behalf of your family members as the main applicant. Here, you are responsible for informing all family members of submission on their behalf.

All members included in the form has to be residing in the same address, stated in the NRIC.

Below 21 years old (minor)

If you are below 21 years old (minor) and would like to submit the application as a main applicant, you can do so only through submitting a hardcopy application form. You will also require a parent or legal guardian to provide consent on your behalf.

Only one CHAS application should be submitted for the household, either online OR in hardcopy.

CHAS submission via an online portal

You can submit your CHAS application online by logging in to their e-Service with a valid Singpass.

Before doing so, you will need to gather the following details of ALL household members (living under the same NRIC address):

Names
NRIC / Birth Certificate / FIN numbers
Contact numbers

CHAS submission via hardcopy

If you prefer the traditional way of filling up a form, you can either choose to download the form online, here, or get a copy from your nearby Community Centre/Club (CC), Community Development Council (CDC), Public Hospital or Polyclinic.

Once done, mail it to this address (with any other supporting documents you might have):

P.O. Box 680
Bukit Merah Central Post Office
Singapore 911536

How Do I Know If My CHAS Application Is Successful?

The application processing for a green CHAS card typically takes 15 days, from the date of the completed application.

You will be notified of your application outcome via mail. If successful, you will receive a welcome pack with your CHAS card together with a guide on usage, as well as participating CHAS clinics.

Otherwise, view the status of your application online by logging in to the CHAS online application e-service at www.chas.sg/apply.

Help! I Still Have Not Received Any Notification

If you still do not receive any notification on your application status after 15 working days, you may call the CHAS hotline at 1800-275-2427 (1800 ASK-CHAS) to enquire about your status.

In the event there are incomplete details, CHAS officers might contact you to advise on information required and/or to provide relevant supporting documents.

What Are The Health Conditions Covered By CHAS?

While CHAS card in Singapore support a variety of conditions, patients are still encouraged to check with their doctor or dentist on the fees incurred before consultation.

According to each patient’s condition, the treatment varies.

The table below shows the different conditions that CHAS covers.


Common Illnesses^	Chronic Conditions	Dental Services^
Abdominal pain Cough, cold, flu Diarrhoea Fever Headache Skin infection and rashes Sore eyes Urinary tract infection	Allergic Rhinitis Anxiety+ Asthma Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Bipolar Disorder+ Chronic Hepatitis B Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Dementia Diabetes Mellitus (DM) (including Pre-Diabetes) Epilepsy Gout Hypertension (High blood pressure) Ischaemic Heart Disease Lipid Disorders (e.g. High cholesterol) Major Depression+ Nephritis/Nephrosis (Chronic Kidney Disease) Osteoarthritis Osteoporosis Parkinson’s Disease Psoriasis Rheumatoid Arthritis Schizophrenia+ Stroke	Consultation* Extraction* Filling* Removable Denture Denture Reline/Repair Permanent Crown Re-cementation* Root Canal Treatment Polishing* Scaling* Topical fluoride* X-Ray*

^ Not applicable for CHAS Green Tier

* Not applicable for CHAS Orange Tier

+Only claimable at selected clinics. Please visit here and click “Listing” under the “Community Mental Health Resource Directory” for the CDMP+ clinic list.

If you require more information relating CHAS card, you can call 1800-275-2427 (1800-ASK-CHAS).

CHAS