Simplifying the Healthier SG Initiative, Whereby Some Singaporeans & PRs Can Enrol From 5 July 2023

Healthy enough (for now) but want to be healthier? That’s what the Singapore government wants for Singaporeans as well through the Healthier SG Initiative.

Just as its name says, the purpose of the initiative is to make people in Singapore healthier.

How? Read on to find out more.

What is Healthier SG?

You can read the official definition of Healthier SG here, but here’s a simplified version.

In essence, the preventive care initiative aims to empower Singaporeans and give them the opportunity lead healthier lifestyles and stave off diseases.

It does so through a few ways:

• Providing support at every step of your health journey
• Give you the option to embark on a long-term holistic care plan with your family doctor
• With closer monitoring, you can take preventive measures (read: try not to get sick instead of curing an illness)
• Plenty of lifestyle adjustments and community activities through the health ecosystem
• Better IT tools to increase convenience and keep track of your matters (think Health Hub and Healthy365)

In other words, they’re providing Singaporeans with the tools and network needed to better manage their health.

And throwing in a bunch of baits to sweeten the deal.

Benefits of Enrolling in Healthier SG

If your health isn’t a strong enough motivator to kick you into action, the Singapore Government has your back.

For individuals who enrolled for the initiative, they can enjoy the following:

• Enhanced subsidies for preventive health
• A free personalised health plan with goals, professional advice and treatment
• A network of healthy lifestyle activities to tap on

To sweeten the deal even further, Singaporeans and PRs who went for their first Health Plan consultation can enjoy $20 worth of Healthpoints and fully-subsidised nationally-recommended screenings and vaccinations (for Singapore Citizens).

For those who needs a high amount of medication for chronic illnesses, here’s a few more pieces of good news:

1. From as early as 2024, CHAS, Merdeka Generation and Pioneer Generation patients can get common chronic drugs from enrolled Healthier SG GP at polyclinic prices
2. You can use Medisave to pay fully for treatment of chronic diseases (no cash co-payment)

Itching to sign up now? Here’s some not-so-great-news.

Not Everyone is Eligible to Sign Up For Healthier SG 

While Healthier SG seems targeted at the whole of Singapore, it won’t be rolled out all at once.

It’s progressive instead.

From 5 July, eligible Singaporeans and PRs can enroll in the Healthier SG Preventive Care Initiative.

The caveat? It’ll be starting with those aged 60 and above. This will be followed by people in the 40-49-year-old age group.

Eligible Singaporeans and PRs will be sent an invitation via SMS.

They will then be able to book their first consultation with a Healthier SG approved clinic or polyclinic.

Here’s an example of how you can sign up, courtesy of Health Minister Ong Ye Kung:

@ongyekung Received your #HealthierSG ♬ original sound – Ye Kung Ong

The various hubs within the Healthier SG network are also revving up their engines.

For example, the National Step-Up challenge is modified to get people to engage in more moderate- to vigorous intensity physical activities per week.

While the Health Promotion Board (HPB) is progressively ramping up its physical activity programmes by more than 50%