MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR WIFE OF DECEASED PENSIONER (Policy)

Mr Leong Horn Kee asked the Minister for Finance whether he will reconsider the policy of terminating the medical benefits extended to the wife of a pensioner after he is deceased.

The Minister for Finance (Dr Hu Tsu Tau): Mr Speaker, Sir, medical benefits are extended to a pensioner and his family because there is a continuing relationship between the pensioner and the Government as his former employer by virtue of the pension payable to him. When the pensioner dies, his pension stops and the medical benefit is also withdrawn.

There is no continuing relationship between the Government and a non-pensionable officer on full CPF after his retirement and he is therefore not granted medical benefits after his retirement.

If the medical benefits for a pensionable officer is improved by the extension of medical benefits to his wife after his demise, this will open the door to claims for medical benefits to be extended to the non-pensionable officer after his retirement. It may also lead to claims from the wife of a pensioner for the pension to be continued to be paid to her after the pensioner's demise.

The Ministry of Finance is therefore unable to extend medical benefits to the wife of a pensioner after he is deceased.