Medisave Cap Singapore 2026: BHS, Withdrawal Limits & ISP Premiums

The complete guide to the Basic Healthcare Sum, annual contribution cap, and how Medisave withdrawal limits affect your Integrated Shield Plan premiums.

The Medisave cap is S$79,000 for 2026 — the maximum balance you can hold in your MediSave Account (MA). This is called the Basic Healthcare Sum (BHS). When your MediSave balance exceeds S$79,000, CPF automatically moves the extra into your Special or Ordinary Account. Your Medisave also pays ISP premiums, but there are annual withdrawal limits based on your age: S$300 (age 40 and below), S$600 (age 41–70), or S$900 (age 71 and above).

Not financial advice. All figures are for educational reference only. Data verified as at 6 September 2026. Sources: CPF Board, MOH.

Table of Contents

What Is the Medisave Cap?

The Medisave cap is the maximum amount of savings you can hold in your CPF MediSave Account (MA) at any one time. The CPF Board calls this the Basic Healthcare Sum (BHS).

Think of it as your healthcare savings target. The government sets it at a level it believes will cover your basic subsidised healthcare costs in retirement. Once you reach the BHS, any extra Medisave contributions automatically overflow into your Special Account (SA) or Ordinary Account (OA).

The BHS is not a spending limit. You can still use your Medisave for eligible healthcare expenses even if your balance exceeds the BHS. The cap only limits how much stays in your MA at any given moment.

The BHS is adjusted annually for members below age 65. Once you reach 65, your BHS is fixed for life at the rate that applied when you turned 65. This protects older Singaporeans from having their target shift upward after retirement.

For more on how Medisave earns interest on every dollar up to this cap, see our guide on the MediSave interest rate 2026.

BHS 2026 — The Current Medisave Cap

For 2026, the Basic Healthcare Sum is set at S$79,000. This applies to all CPF members below age 65. Those who turn 65 this year (born in 1961) will have their BHS fixed at S$79,000 for the rest of their lives.

The BHS has grown steadily — from S$52,000 in 2017 to S$79,000 today. That is a 52% rise over a decade, broadly tracking Singapore’s rising healthcare costs. The table below shows every cohort’s fixed BHS.

Source: CPF Board, What is the Basic Healthcare Sum?, updated May 2026

If you turned 65 in 2020 (born in 1955), your BHS stays at S$60,000 forever — even though younger members now face a higher cap. Once you retire, your target is locked in so you know exactly what you need to save.

Medisave Withdrawal Limits for ISP Premiums

When you pay for an Integrated Shield Plan (ISP), your premium has two components. The Medisave cap affects each differently.

Component 1: MediShield Life — This is the base government insurance layer inside every ISP. The full MediShield Life premium is payable entirely from Medisave. No cash co-payment is required for this portion.

Component 2: Additional ISP premium — This is the private insurer’s coverage above MediShield Life. You can pay some of this from Medisave, but only up to the Additional Withdrawal Limit (AWL). Any amount above the AWL must be paid in cash.

The AWL depends on your age next birthday:

Source: CPF Board, Integrated Shield Plan premiums page, updated August 2026

Here is a practical example. Suppose you are 45 years old and your ISP total premium is S$1,800 per year. The insurer splits this into S$1,200 for MediShield Life and S$600 for the additional ISP component.

• MediShield Life portion (S$1,200): fully from Medisave
• Additional ISP portion (S$600): S$600 from Medisave — within your AWL of S$600 (age 41–70)
• Total cash outlay: S$0 in this example

But if the additional ISP portion is S$1,000 and you’re 45:

• Medisave covers up to S$600 (your AWL)
• You pay S$400 in cash per year

This cash gap grows significantly with age. At 75, your ISP premium can be five times higher than at 45. Yet your AWL only rises to S$900. The difference between the premium and S$900 is pure cash from your own pocket. This is why planning ahead matters so much.

For a detailed breakdown of which insurer offers the best value, see our best integrated shield plan Singapore guide.

New IP Riders from 1 April 2026: MOH launched new rider products from 1 April 2026. These riders now include mandatory co-payment components. The Medisave AWL rules above still apply to the base ISP premium. Check with your insurer on how your specific 2026 rider interacts with your Medisave withdrawal.

For a broader look at what MediShield Life covers, see our guide on what is MediShield Life in Singapore.

What Happens When You Hit the Medisave Cap

Many Singaporeans in their 40s and 50s are approaching or exceeding the S$79,000 BHS. Here is what to expect.

Excess automatically transfers out. When your Medisave balance goes above S$79,000, CPF redirects the overflow. For members below 55, it flows to your Special Account (SA). For members aged 55 and above, it goes to the Retirement Account (up to the Full Retirement Sum), then to the Ordinary Account (OA).

You do not lose the money. It simply moves to a different CPF account. However, interest rates differ: both MediSave and SA earn 4% per year, but the OA only earns 2.5%. If your overflow goes to the OA, you earn less interest on that portion.

Voluntary top-ups stop at the BHS. You can only top up your Medisave voluntarily up to the BHS. Once you hit S$79,000, no further voluntary top-ups are accepted into the MA. This matters if you are chasing the Medisave top-up tax relief — once the cap is reached, there is nothing left to top up.

Your ability to use Medisave remains unaffected. Hitting the cap does not restrict withdrawals for eligible healthcare expenses. You can still use Medisave for hospitalisation, ISP premiums, outpatient treatments, and so on — as long as you have a balance remaining.

For a full overview of your CPF account types and how Medisave fits in, see our CPF MediSave account guide.

How to Plan Around the Medisave Cap

The BHS affects your financial planning in several ways. Here are four practical steps to take.

1. Check your current balance. Log into your CPF account to see your MediSave balance. If you are within S$5,000–S$10,000 of the cap, plan to stop voluntary top-ups soon. The CPF system will flag this automatically when you try.

2. Budget for rising ISP cash payments. Your ISP premium will rise as you age — often sharply in your 60s and 70s. At 70, your AWL is only S$600. But an A-ward ISP premium at 70 can easily reach S$4,000–S$6,000 per year. The gap between your premium and your Medisave coverage is pure cash. Plan for this gap to widen every decade.

Use our Singapore retirement planning calculator to model how these ISP cash premiums will affect your retirement budget.

3. Review your ISP coverage level as you age. If ISP cash premiums exceed what you can comfortably afford in retirement, downgrading from an A-ward to a B1-ward plan is a rational choice. MediShield Life alone still covers you for B2 and C ward hospitalisation with subsidies of up to 80%. Downgrading is not failure — it is prudent planning.

4. Top up before retirement if you’re below the BHS. If you are approaching retirement and your Medisave is still below S$79,000, topping it up is one of the best guaranteed-return moves available. Every dollar in Medisave earns 4% risk-free. You also receive a tax relief of up to S$8,000 per year for self-top-ups and a further S$8,000 for topping up a family member’s MA.

For the full picture on 2026 Medisave withdrawal limits and how they’ve changed, see our 2026 Medisave withdrawal limits guide.

Frequently Asked Questions