Employers must buy Primary Care Plans for migrant workers living in dorms, working in certain sectors from April” – MOM announcement on 19 Feb 2022
The introduction of Primary Care Plans (PCP) for companies to cover the medical costs of their migrant workers is one of the most progressive and important moves announced by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), as part of the Singapore Government Budget 2022 .
Migrant workers have been an integral part of Singapore’s growth, and for a long time they have not been included in Singapore’s mainstream healthcare system. The PCP gives migrant workers better access to primary healthcare, and recognizes the high cost of treating acute and chronic illnesses that they potentially face.
We are heartened by the announcement of Primary Care Plans in the Budget 2022. The PCP complements LEAP201’s Care4MigrantWorkers (C4M) and shares a common objective.
Together with our partners, LEAP201 spearheaded and has been advocating for the protection of migrant workers through C4M group life and critical illness insurance scheme since September 2020. To date, 36,000 migrant workers in Singapore have been covered under C4M and the new Primary Care Plan will give us access to over 300,000 dormitory-based migrant population in the country.
The PCP for migrant workers is an important step forward and will encourage more employers to commit to caring for the welfare and livelihood of our migrant workforce, and creating a stronger and fairer society for all.
LEAP201 and partners spearheaded and have been advocating for the protection of migrant workers through the Care4MigrantWorkers (C4M) Insurance Scheme since September 2020. This scheme now covers over 36,000 migrant workers in Singapore and still counting.
We believe the primary care plan for migrant workers introduced by MOM is an important step forward, and hope to see more measures in the budget to ensure that migrant workers receive affordable and comprehensive medical coverage.
Where Does LEAP201 Go From Here?
Our work doesn’t stop here. Some 220,000 foreign domestic workers are still not covered for any critical illness treatments. We will continue to engage the government, our partners, stakeholders and our communities to strengthen the social protection of migrant workers and help create a #fairerandstrongersociety.
Link to The Strait Times article – https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/firms-must-buy-primary-care-plans-for-migrant-workers-living-in-dorms-working-in-buildingshipyard-and-process-sectors-from-april