Meeting Healthcare Needs of Older Work Permit Holders

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower following the removal of the maximum employment period and increased age limit for work permit holders, what plans does the Ministry have to meet the healthcare needs of older work permit holders in light of this new policy shift.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is committed to ensuring that work permit holders receive adequate healthcare and are supported for different health episodes, including older work permit holders' healthcare needs.

First, to improve work permit holders' access to affordable primary care, employers are required to purchase the Primary Care Plan (PCP) for their work permit holders if they stay in dormitories or work in the Construction, Marine Shipyard and Process sectors. While PCP is optional for other work permit holders, MOM strongly encourages employers to buy PCP as it offers affordable healthcare access to workers and cost certainty to employers. Under PCP, work permit holders pay a low co-payment fee of $2 for each telehealth session and $5 for each in-person consultation session. PCP clinics are conveniently located near where work permit holders stay. PCP also includes an annual basic health screening and covers the primary care management of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and high cholesterol, detected through the screening.

Second, to ensure adequate coverage for more severe health episodes, employers are required to purchase medical insurance for each work permit holder they employ, with an annual claim limit of at least $60,000 covering inpatient care and day surgery. For workers who are injured while working, the Work Injury Compensation Act covers their medical leave wages, which is calculated based on average monthly earnings and medical expenses, capped at $45,000. The compensation limit for medical expenses will increase to $53,000 from 1 November 2025.

Finally, we strive to keep our workforce, including migrant workers, healthy. MOM works with the Health Promotion Board and tripartite partners to promote workplace programmes that support age-friendly practices like job redesign, enabling older workers to work safely even in manual roles. We also have programmes to raise migrant workers' health literacy and awareness on preventive health. This includes Project MOCCA, which stands for "Management of Oral and Chronic Conditions and Ailments", is a preventive health framework that encourages early detection and management of common chronic and oral health conditions among migrant workers. MOM also distributes health materials in their native languages to migrant workers at roadshows, the FWMOMCare app and via dormitory operators.

MOM will continue to review our healthcare initiatives to ensure they remain appropriate for migrant workers, including older work permit holders.