Medical Insurance in Malaysia

Buying an insurance policy cannot be taken lightly. There are so many different packages out there, it might be daunting in determining which is the best and ideal plan as you might have certain needs at certain stages of life.

Medical Insurance most necessary

For any individual, medical insurance would be most necessary in a country like Malaysia. Besides education, medical fees are among the most demanded and that is why such an insurance package is important. While medical and healthcare expenses might not be the highest in the region, it is increasing each year and when the need arises, a medical card would be most ideal.

What does medical insurance cover?

Malaysians have enjoyed medical insurance for almost half a decade now and this has become a lot more prevalent in recent years. The main reason for this is because of the rising living standards and increased awareness among Malaysians in terms of health consciousness. Malaysians are provided with affordable healthcare through public clinics, hospitals and services. But services offered and facilities have driven Malaysians to opt for private healthcare and that is where the expenses will snowball. The better and more sophisticated the treatment is, the more expensive it will be and without medical insurance, it would be impossible to get the best care possible.

What to know about medical insurance?

Most, if not all insurance companies offer medical insurance through a medical card or in one way or another. While there are a lot of similarities amongst them, you should know what you are getting into before you run out and buy one. There are several options that you need to consider. To start, you should look at whether you are looking for basic or luxurious coverage. Some important terms that you must know:

  • A medical card is one that identifies you with a certain insurance company and will outline what benefits you are entitled to.
  • Lump-sum benefits that are accorded for critical illness (sometimes called dread diseases insurance)
  • Disability income insurance is designed to compensate for your loss of income in a situation where you are unfit to go to work.

In most cases, the medical insurance will cover all those and even more but if you decide to have all these provisions, it means you will pay more in terms of the premium. The insurance company will surely want you to include all the provisions in your premium. The thing is, you have the choice to decide what you have and what you don’t in your medical insurance. In fact, you can just opt for a basic package if you are classified under the Low-Risk Lifestyle segment.

What does medical insurance cover?

The rule of thumb about medical insurance is that it helps you in paying for medical treatment services and hospitalization if it occurs. You will receive treatment from the list of panel medical centers and hospitals when the need arises. Besides these services, it also covers accidental death, permanent disability and such.

  • Always be sure about what you are paying for. Don’t buy a policy that has ‘everything’. Chances are, you won’t need them all!. Check with your agent.
  • Don’t rush into buying medical insurance. If there are details you are not sure about, ask.
  • Allocated nothing more than 2% of your monthly income for your insurance (and that includes all your other premiums).
  • Know the process. Some medical insurance requires you to pay and settle your bills before paying you back. Is that what you want?
  • Can you change the amount of your premium in the future?
  • Is medical insurance covering you outside the country?
  • Is the claiming process easy and efficient?
  • Is there a ‘blackout’ period? This refers to the time you start paying for the premium and the time when you are allowed to make a claim. In most cases, this is in the first 6 months of your premium.
  • Compare the various types of medical insurance offered by the many companies across the country.

Group insurance in a nutshell

In most cases, companies buy something called group medical insurance which offers some form of coverage in medical treatment for the employees. This usually covers hospitalization, treatment and surgery and it often comes as part of the benefits that you will receive in your jobs. The common understanding is that the higher your position is in the company, the more benefits you are entitled to. Some companies also extend such coverage to your family members. That said, is it sufficient for today’s Malaysian lifestyle?

Offered but usually not entirely enough

To say the least, the medical insurance extended to you (and your family in some cases) would not be enough and you should not depend on it solely to help you cover medical bills when the need arises. It is important to understand that medical fees in Malaysia are very high and such coverage might not work out very well for you.

  • Coverage – Most group medical insurance policies do not come with high annual limits. This is the maximum that you can claim each year and if that is not high enough, you will be required to top up any additional charges required. The common range for such policies is from RM10,000 to RM200,000. The usual band that employers give would be about RM80,000 per year. If you take up medical insurance, the annual limit usually goes up to more than RM1 million.
  • Coverage terms – Since your employer is the one who buys the group medical insurance, it is up to them to change the policy terms as and when they like. In times when the cost of living is escalating, your employer might opt for a lower package and that means you would only get lower coverage. Take note that employers are not obliged by law to provide any form of medical coverage for their employees. This is a good enough reason to get your own policy.
  • Employment – This is a no-brainer. You will only be covered as long as you are still an employee of the company. Once you leave the job, you are no longer covered. Hence, it would be better if you have your own so that you are not at the mercy of the employer you are working from. What if your next employer is one that does not provide such benefits?

So, what does this mean?

This simply means that you should have your own personal medical insurance. While it means additional commitments, it makes things a lot easier should the need arise. If you incur a minor medical payment, you can use your company’s medical insurance so that you need to take up any limit from your personal one, which you can only use if anything major needs to be paid due to a medical condition. You can also use your personal policy to top up any medical expenses that your employer’s policy doesn’t.

Medical Packages offered by Insurance companies in Malaysia

Below are some of the top medical plans offered by insurance companies across the country.

  • AIA – AIA Medical Insurance A-Plus Health – Generally covers room and board with no lifetime limit.
  • Manulife Malaysia – Manulife Medical Insurance ManuHealth Elite – Room and board up to RM250 with no lifetime claim limit
  • AXA Assurance – AXA eMedic Online Plan – Provides cashless hospital admissions
  • AmMetLife – AmMetLife Medical Insurance – an investment-linked product with no lifetime claim limit
  • Tokio Marine Malaysia – Medical Insurance Premier Medic – Room and board up to RM500
  • Hong Leong Assurance – Hong Leong Assurance Medical Insurance MedGLOBAL IV Plus – RM400 Room and board and coverage overseas too.
  • MSIG Medical Insurance Healthcare International Insurance – Covers outside Malaysia with RM400 Room and Board.
  • Zurich Medical Insurance Omni Health – The Platinum package comes with RM350 room and board with cashback for non-claims.
  • Great Eastern Assurance – Great Eastern Medical Insurance Great MediCare – RM200,000 annual claim limit
  • Prudential Assurance – Prudential Medical Insurance PRUvalue med – up to RM600 room and board with no annual claim limit. Age renewable up to 70 years old.

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