Prudential extends coverage to children and youth under 18 who may be hospitalised for side effects arising from COVID-19 vaccinations
- Complimentary PRUSafe COVIDCover includes S$100 daily hospitalisation cash allowance for up to 14 days
- PRUSafe COVIDCover policyholders will have access to video consultations with a doctor via the Pulse app at a flat fee of S$5 per session
- Coverage is extended till 31 December 2022 for new and existing PRUSafe COVIDCover policyholders
Singapore, 18 March 2022 – Prudential Singapore (“Prudential”) is offering complimentary coverage to children and youth aged 5 to 17 years old[1] who may be hospitalised for side effects[2] resulting from COVID-19 vaccinations[3].
Under the complimentary plan, PRUSafe COVIDCover, these young Singapore residents will receive a cash allowance of S$100 per day of hospitalisation[4] for up to 14 days, should they be hospitalised within 7 days of receiving each COVID-19 vaccination dosage. This includes the booster dose for individuals aged 12 and above. Currently, the national vaccination programme is open to Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders aged 5 and above.
Mr Goh Theng Kiat, Chief Customer Officer, Prudential Singapore, said that it is important that the community stays protected as we continue to live with the pandemic.
“We want to support our customers and the community in keeping with the evolving COVID-19 situation and Singapore’s progress on its vaccination strategy. By extending PRUSafe COVIDCover to children and youth as well, parents can have greater peace of mind as we do our part to stay safe in this pandemic while returning to normalcy,” said Mr Goh.
Infections in Singapore remain high amidst the Omicron wave with children more likely to be infected by the Omicron variant compared to the Delta variant. The Ministry of Health shared in February 2022 that children aged 5 to 11 have the highest infection rate of COVID-19 in Singapore, followed by those aged 12 to 19.[5]
As of 14 March 2022, 25 per cent of children aged 5 to 11 remain unvaccinated.[6]
Prudential had launched PRUSafe COVIDCover on 26 January 2021 to provide support to individuals aged 18 and above who may be hospitalised for side effects arising from COVID-19 vaccinations. The plan was made available to 100,000 Singapore residents including non-Prudential customers, and has now been expanded to include children and youth.
Parents can sign up for PRUSafe COVIDCover for their children[7] aged 5 to 17 years old via Prudential’s digital health and wellness app, Pulse by Prudential (“Pulse”), from 17 March 2022 to 30 November 2022. The coverage is effective from 17 March 2022 or date of registration, whichever is later, and ends on 31 December 2022.
24/7 Video Consultations with a Doctor via the Pulse app at S$5
All policyholders of PRUSafe COVIDCover including children and youth[8] who have signed up will also have access to video consultations with a doctor via the Pulse app at a flat fee of S$5 per session. They can connect with the doctors 24/7 on a variety of health-related concerns, including COVID-related queries.[9] The fee of $5 is available for the term of the policy and does not include cost of medication and delivery.
Extension of coverage for new and existing PRUSafe COVIDCover policyholders till 31 Dec 2022
Prudential has extended coverage till 31 December 2022 for existing PRUSafe COVIDCover policyholders who signed up for the plan last year. Complimentary coverage for these policyholders would have ceased on 31 January 2022 but had been automatically extended so that those going for booster shots can continue to be covered. They had been informed of the extension of their policy in January.
PRUSafe COVIDCover was offered as an extension of Prudential’s PRUcare package, which aims to support individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.[10]
Singapore residents who wish to sign up for PRUSafe COVIDCover can access it via Pulse. The app is available to everyone in Singapore, and users do not need to pay any subscription fee. New policyholders who sign up this year will also enjoy coverage till 31 December 2022.
For more information on PRUSafe COVIDCover, please refer to the footnotes or visit https://www.prudential.com.sg/prusafecovidcover.
How to register for PRUSafe COVIDCover
- Download and complete registration on the Pulse by Prudential app from the Apple App Store (iOS users) and Android Play Store (Android users). Note that you have to be 18 years and above to use the app.
- Once the app has been installed, navigate to PRUShoppe, the app’s e-store. Look for PRUSafe COVIDCover and click on the tile.
- Follow the instructions provided. Once you have submitted your information and are eligible to sign up for PRUSafe COVIDCover, your policy documents will be available to you under “My Policies” in the Pulse app.
Note: Parents will need to input their child’s information on the Pulse app. If they wish to sign up for more than one child, they will need to sign up for each child individually.
[1] MOH | Child Vaccination. As at the time of this media release, all children who have crossed their 5th birthday in 2021 are eligible to book a vaccination appointment. PRUSafe COVIDCover is open to Singapore residents which include Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders (Long Term Visit Pass, Employment Pass, Dependent Pass, Student Pass).
[2] The side effects of COVID-19 vaccinations must be diagnosed in Singapore by a Registered Medical Practitioner and the life assured has to be hospitalised in Singapore on the recommendation of a Registered Medical Practitioner. For more information, please refer to prudential.com.sg/PRUSafeCOVIDCover.
[3] The COVID-19 vaccination needs to be authorised by the Singapore Health Sciences Authority and administered on the recommendation of a Registered Medical Practitioner. The COVID-19 vaccine must be administered after the cover start date of the policy for a claim to be made. For more information, please refer to prudential.com.sg/PRUSafeCOVIDCover.
[4] Day of hospitalisation means a period of 24 hours of hospitalisation. For more information, please refer to prudential.com.sg/PRUSafeCOVIDCover
[5] MOH | News. Speed by Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health at the Singapore Healthy Quality Service Awards 2022.
[6] Vaccination Status by Age Group (as of 14 March 2022) https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/vaccination/statistics
[7] Pulse app users have to be Singapore residents aged 18 and above.
[8] Children and youth under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent during the consultation.
[9] The Pulse consultation is not part of the Ministry of Health’s Home Recovery Programme.
[10] For more information on the launch of PRUcare package, please click here: https://www.prudential.com.sg/about/newsroom/press-release/2020/prudential-gives-out
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About Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) Ltd (Prudential Singapore)
Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) Ltd is one of the top life insurance companies in Singapore, serving the financial and protection needs of the country’s citizens for 89 years. The company has an AA- Financial Strength Rating from leading credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s, with S$43.1 billion funds under management as at 31 December 2019. It delivers a suite of well-rounded product offerings in Protection, Savings and Investment through multiple distribution channels including a network of more than 5,000 financial consultants.