Welcome package with 'white card' for pioneers
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 23 Jul 2014
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 23 Jul 2014
This is as their mailboxes are too small, said Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor yesterday at a visit to the printing plant where they are being prepared.
"We want to ensure that we will be able to deliver the packages on time," said Dr Khor, who is the co-chair of the Pioneer Generation Taskforce with Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport Josephine Teo.
Among other materials, each welcome package will contain a white card, with their name, identification number and a barcode, identifying them as one of the pioneers - those who are 65 years old and above this year, and became a citizen before 1987.
This card allows them to enjoy subsidies at polyclinics, specialist outpatient clinics, and participating GP and dental clinics under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS).
For those who have missed the cut to be a pioneer and want to appeal, the 10-member appeals panel is working out an approach to assess them, said Mrs Teo.
About 20 per cent of the 700 calls made weekly to the Central Provident Fund hotline are from people who are appealing.
Most of the pioneers have also received their Medisave accounts top-ups this month of $200 to $800 a year.
About 900, or 0.2 per cent, have not received their share as they do not have a Medisave account, said Mrs Teo.
"We have reached out to grassroots organisations, to make contact with as many of these pioneers as possible," she said.
Panel looking into appeals to enter pioneer package scheme
By Kok Xing Hui, TODAY, 23 Jul 2014
By Kok Xing Hui, TODAY, 23 Jul 2014
The Central Provident Fund Board receives about 700 calls a week from Singaporeans about the Pioneer Generation Package (PGP), with most seeking more information on the benefits of and eligibility criteria for the package and one-fifth appealing to enter the scheme, said Senior Minister of State (Finance and Transport) Josephine Teo yesterday.
A panel is looking into the appeals and will “carefully deliberate” the cases, including asking for more information from these individuals, she told reporters during a tour with Senior Minister of State (Health) Amy Khor of the production site for the PGP welcome pack, which will be sent out from next month.
Asked if any appeal has been accepted so far, Mrs Teo said the appeals panel had met more than once and was still in the process of working out the approach to take when assessing appeals. More will be shared in due course, she added.
The distribution of the 450,000 welcome packs will be completed by September, when healthcare subsidies for pioneers start. All pioneers will be placed on the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) for subsidies at participating general practitioner and dental clinics and will get an additional 50 per cent off subsidised treatments at polyclinics and Specialist Outpatient Clinics.
Apart from the card, the package includes a personalised list of the six nearest CHAS clinics to the pioneer’s home, a CHAS clinic directory, a booklet detailing in four languages the benefits of the PGP and fridge magnets with the PGP hotline printed on it.
The welcome pack costs about S$5 each to produce and mail, and was created to “ensure that we effectively communicate the package to pioneers”, said Dr Khor. She added: “The people in charge of developing, creating, conceptualising and producing the welcome pack have put a lot of thought and effort into making it elder-friendly. If you look at the font size, it is elder-friendly, even the colour scheme.”
Related
Pioneer Generation Package website
Pioneer Generation Package
PM Lee hands out first 100 pioneer generation cards
Pioneer Generation Package website
Pioneer Generation Package
PM Lee hands out first 100 pioneer generation cards
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