Great gift for parents

If you are expecting a child in 2015, you do not need to worry about his or her health insurance.

Insurance company Great Eastern is giving out free first-year health insurance to all babies born in Singapore next year.

The insurance will serve as an upgrade to MediShield, the Government's basic medical insurance scheme, and will cover hospitalisation in Class A or B1 wards in restructured hospitals.

Worth $108, the free health insurance is one of several community initiatives by Great Eastern in celebration of SG50, Singapore's 50th birthday next year.

Great Eastern's chief marketing officer Mr Colin Chan said that the milestone is a good opportunity for the company to give back to society.

He said: "Being an established homegrown insurance company with a 106-year history, it is a good opportunity to introduce these initiatives on Singapore's 50th birthday."

Apart from the free health insurance, the company will also be fulfilling 50 meaningful wishes in 2015. The public can submit their wishes via Wish Cards, as well as through Great Eastern's website.

The company is looking for wishes that support personal aspirations, or those that would improve the lives of Singaporeans and the community.

The first 5,000 online entries will receive a limited edition ez-link card with a stored value of $10.

The company will also be sponsoring 25,000 red and white spheres that will be part of the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2015.

It also aims to raise $500,000 for the underprivileged through a series of activities such as the Great Eastern Women's Run.

Great Eastern's chief executive officer, Dr Khoo Kah Siang, said he hopes that the initiatives will benefit Singapore society.

COMPANY'S MISSION

"These initiatives are very much in line with our company's mission, and I hope they go a long way in helping Singapore become a more gracious society and caring community."

Web designer Yeo Peipei, 28, who is expecting a child in early 2015, said: "That sounds good. I am sure many parents will be happy to hear that.

"My husband and I had actually started looking at some plans so this is cool."

To find out more about Great Eastern's SG50 initiatives, visit www.greateasternlife.com/sg50.

The website will go live on Dec 1.

joonlei@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Nov 7, 2014.
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