The insurer’s claims data shows that 62% of claimants under one of its long-term care plans are under 50

[SINGAPORE] Nearly two-thirds of all injury-related claims payable up to end-May 2026 under GREAT CareShield, a Great Eastern coverage plan, were filed by working-age policyholders aged 30 to 39, Great Eastern has found.

The insurer also found that nearly three in 10 long-term disability claims stemmed from injuries.

These statistics were drawn from claims made between October 2020 and May 2026 under Great Eastern’s GREAT CareShield, a supplementary insurance plan providing enhanced long-term care coverage on top of Singapore’s national CareShield Life and ElderShield insurance schemes.

The plan provides payouts and benefits from as early as the inability to perform one activity of daily living sets in.

The insurer, which undertook a study into long-term care, said in its report that this type of care, once perceived as a remote and unlikely contingency, is now recognised as a “high-probability life phase”: One in two Singapore residents could develop severe disability at some point in their lives.

A key finding was that although Singapore is becoming a super-aged society, a significant number of those needing long-term care are not that old: Overall, 62 per cent of GREAT CareShield claimants in the study are under the age of 50.

Kwek-Perroy Li Choo, managing director at Great Eastern, said as much in a briefing on Thursday (Jun 11) – that long-term care is not an age-related problem.

She added that with about half of healthy Singaporeans expected to develop severe disability from injury or illness, long-term care is becoming a stark reality for individuals and families in all age groups.

She noted that disability may be short-term, lasting six months or a year or two, but it could also be permanent, and that it is important for Singaporeans to be aware of their options for financial protection.

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Great Eastern, for example, will start providing earlier-stage financial protection for mild disability, with practical caregiving benefits for its policyholders.

In July, it will launch a home caregiving concierge service in collaboration with private home-care provider Care@Homes for all GREAT CareShield policyholders and their families.

Kwek said that, having worked abroad and seen other countries’ systems, she has realised that Singapore’s move to make long-term care insurance compulsory is rare.

She was referring to CareShield Life, which covers citizens and permanent residents born in 1980 or later by default. Those born earlier are eligible for it as well.

Many global insurers do not offer coverage for long-term care because it is a high-liability, long-tail risk.

Great Eastern is one of three private insurers offering this kind of insurance coverage in Singapore, along with Singlife and Income Insurance.

Perception gap in long-term care

The findings of the study released on Thursday by Great Eastern found that while a majority of Singaporeans prefer home-based care for long-term care needs, many underestimate the financial and emotional pressures involved.

The insurer said the findings highlight a gap between public perception and the realities of long-term disability and caregiving costs in Singapore.

The study showed that awareness of long-term disability rose significantly to 42 per cent in 2025, from 29 per cent in 2023. Despite this, nearly six in 10 Singaporeans have still not seriously considered the likelihood of becoming disabled.

This suggests that while public education has improved general understanding, it has not yet translated into action, mirroring the findings by the Ministry of Health – that only about one in three Singaporeans have taken up supplementary plans to enhance their baseline CareShield Life or ElderShield coverage.

Findings of an online poll

Great Eastern also did an online poll of 1,000 residents, comprising Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 30 to 64. Carried out between December 2025 and January 2026, it aimed to suss out their attitudes towards disability and long-term care, including their receptivity to CareShield Life supplements.

The survey found that when long-term care becomes necessary, Singaporeans show a strong preference for home-based care. Sixty-eight per cent of the respondents preferred professional care support delivered at home over institutional care settings.

Kwek said: “We now recognise that that long-term care is no longer solely about fulfilling medical needs. There is a desire by Singaporeans to maintain their dignity while under long-term medical care.

“Everyone, regardless of age or ability, treasures a sense of belonging to familiar environments, hence we see increasing preference for home-based care.”

The study also highlighted a perception gap about the actual cost of home care. Respondents estimated monthly long-term care expenses to be around S$2,400, but care provider Care@Homes pegged it at closer to S$3,500 a month.

These costs far exceed the basic coverage of S$689 per month provided by CareShield Life.

When asked what services they would want insurers to provide in the event of disability, respondents cited day-to-day care (61 per cent), medical coordination (55 per cent) and rehabilitation support (52 per cent) as the most important forms of support.

Close to four in 10 of them (38 per cent) said they valued payouts beginning from the mild-to-moderate disability stage, when a person may be unable to perform one or two activities of daily living.

From a caregiver perspective, respondents highlighted practical support as the most important forms of assistance, with transportation to medical appointments (45 per cent), respite care for caregivers (37 per cent) and standby help (33 per cent) ranking highest.

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