CPF Basic Healthcare Sum (BHS) Singapore: The S$79,000 Cap on Your MediSave Account in 2026

The CPF Basic Healthcare Sum (BHS) is the maximum amount of MediSave savings a CPF member needs to set aside for future healthcare and MediShield Life premium needs; it is set at S$79,000 for members below 65 in 2026, adjusted yearly for this group, while it becomes permanently fixed at the prevailing amount once a member turns 65.

Not financial advice. All figures for educational reference only. Data as at August 2026.

What Is CPF Basic Healthcare Sum (BHS) Singapore?

Every working CPF member in Singapore contributes a portion of their monthly CPF contributions into their MediSave Account, intended to cover hospitalisation, selected outpatient treatments, and MediShield Life or Integrated Shield Plan premiums. Left unchecked, this account could theoretically accumulate savings well beyond what any individual might realistically need for healthcare, since MediSave earns a relatively attractive CPF interest rate and members might otherwise be tempted to over-allocate contributions there rather than toward retirement savings in the Special or Retirement Account.

The Basic Healthcare Sum solves this by setting an explicit ceiling. CPF Board reviews and adjusts the BHS annually to keep pace with rising healthcare costs and MediShield Life premium levels for the general population, ensuring the sum realistically reflects anticipated healthcare needs rather than becoming either too restrictive or unnecessarily generous over time.

The BHS applies differently depending on age. For members still below 65, the BHS is a moving target that CPF Board revises each year (S$75,500 in 2025, rising to S$79,000 for 2026), meaning the ceiling itself changes annually. Once a member turns 65, however, their personal BHS is locked in at that year’s prevailing figure and does not rise further in subsequent years, even as the BHS continues to be revised upward for younger cohorts.

How Does It Work in Singapore?

Each month, a portion of a working member’s CPF contributions is allocated to the MediSave Account based on CPF’s age-banded allocation rates. If that allocation would push the MediSave Account balance above the prevailing BHS, the excess amount is automatically redirected instead — to the Special Account for members below 55, or to the Retirement Account for members 55 and above — rather than being rejected or refunded. This redirection is automatic and requires no action from the member; CPF Board’s systems handle the reallocation as contributions are processed.

Because the BHS for members under 65 is reviewed yearly, a member whose MediSave Account balance was at the prior year’s BHS may find themselves below the new, higher BHS after an annual revision, meaning MediSave contributions resume flowing into (and compounding within) the MediSave Account again rather than being redirected elsewhere, until the balance catches up to the new ceiling once more. This cycle repeats each year the BHS is revised upward, which has been the consistent pattern for years.

For members who have already turned 65, the fixed nature of their personal BHS means their MediSave Account ceiling stops moving even as CPF continues to raise the BHS for younger members. A member whose BHS was fixed at S$75,500 upon turning 65 in 2025 keeps that S$75,500 ceiling for life, distinct from the S$79,000 BHS that applies to members who are still below 65 in 2026 or who turn 65 in 2026 and have their BHS fixed at that year’s figure instead.

Worked Example

Mr Rajan, 42, has a MediSave Account balance of S$76,000 as of early 2026. Because the prevailing BHS for members below 65 is S$79,000 for the year, he still has S$3,000 of “headroom” before his monthly MediSave contributions start being redirected to his Special Account instead. Over the following months, ongoing MediSave contributions bring his balance to S$79,000, at which point any further MediSave-allocated contributions flow into his Special Account instead, continuing to grow his retirement savings rather than sitting idle at the BHS ceiling.

Compare this to Mdm Lee, who turned 65 in 2024 when the BHS for that cohort was fixed at S$71,500. Her personal BHS remains S$71,500 for life, even though the BHS for members still below 65 has since risen to S$79,000 in 2026. If her MediSave Account balance is already at or above her fixed S$71,500 ceiling, any further MediSave contributions she might still receive (for instance, from continued employment past 65) would be redirected to her Retirement Account rather than adding to her MediSave balance.

Advantages

• Prevents over-allocation to a single account. The BHS ensures MediSave contributions beyond a reasonable healthcare buffer flow into retirement savings (Special or Retirement Account) instead, where they can also earn CPF interest.
• Automatically adjusted for healthcare cost inflation. Annual reviews for members under 65 mean the ceiling for MediSave savings roughly keeps pace with rising healthcare and insurance premium costs over time.
• Provides certainty after age 65. Once fixed, a member’s BHS no longer changes, giving older members a stable, predictable ceiling rather than one that keeps shifting in later life.
• No manual action required. The redirection of excess MediSave contributions to the Special or Retirement Account happens automatically through CPF Board’s system, without members needing to submit any request.
• Does not restrict healthcare access. Reaching the BHS does not limit a member’s ability to use MediSave for approved medical expenses; it only affects where new contributions are allocated.

Risks and Limitations

• Annual increases mean the target keeps moving for younger members. A member below 65 who plans around today’s BHS figure needs to account for the fact that CPF Board typically raises it each year, changing the ceiling before they reach it.
• Confusion between the moving and fixed BHS. Members sometimes mistakenly assume their BHS will keep rising after 65 just like younger members’ BHS does, when in fact it is fixed once they turn 65.
• Redirected funds lose MediSave-specific liquidity. Once contributions are redirected to the Special or Retirement Account, they are subject to that account’s withdrawal rules, which are generally more restrictive for healthcare-specific spending than MediSave.
• BHS is a savings cap, not a spending cap. Members sometimes mistakenly believe reaching the BHS limits how much they can claim for medical treatment, when it only limits how much new money flows into the account.
• Doesn’t guarantee sufficiency for all healthcare scenarios. The BHS reflects reasonably anticipated needs based on population-level healthcare cost trends, not any individual member’s specific health situation, which could exceed or fall short of this benchmark.

Comparison

The BHS moves annually for younger members but locks in permanently once a member turns 65.

Frequently Asked Questions