Why You Need a Medical Card in Malaysia
Aside from life insurance, there’s no better cushioning that will help you live life to the fullest than having a medical card. This necessity has your back in case anything goes wrong regarding your health, as it will shoulder the expensive hospital fees we’re all familiar with.
Fortunately, Malaysia’s healthcare system is one of the best in Southeast Asia, and in this blog, we’re going to help find the perfect one for you. Also tune in to find out if medical cards are really necessary in Malaysia (spoiler alert: yes they are).
Is a medical card necessary in Malaysia?
To put it bluntly, yes, it’s necessary to have a medical card in Malaysia, or anywhere in the world for that matter. They shoulder most, if not all, of the expenses people would normally have to pay for themselves when they get admitted to the hospital.
By being insured by a medical card, you can live life to the fullest knowing that you’re covered in case anything goes wrong. This is, however, depending on the coverage of the plan that you choose.
What are the benefits of having a medical card in Malaysia?
It protects your savings
At the end of the day, the main purpose of medical cards is to protect your life’s savings. Trust us, no matter how much you’ve saved up, this is nothing compared to what you’ll be paying for when something bad happens–heck, even millionaires have medical cards!
Whether you’re simply checking up with your doctor, getting surgery or anything in between, you can expect to take out a lot of money. Unless you have infinite amounts of money, you can’t expect to pay all of these on your own, it will eat away your savings in no time!
It allows you to get treated immediately
One of the counterpoints that we commonly hear from people who don’t want to get medical cards is “We’ll just go to government hospitals”. Although there is nothing wrong with these establishments, their main downside is the long waiting time.
You’re not just the only one who’ve thought this way, and chances are, there are thousands of other patients with the same mindset. What if your condition needs to be treated immediately, can you endure the long wait?
Furthermore, what most people don’t know is that you’ll still have to take out a lot of money to get treated in government hospitals. Although they’re not as expensive as the rates in private hospitals, they’re not cheap, so the argument of saving money doesn’t really work here.
Here’s a table comparing the rates of treatments from private and government hospitals in Malaysia:
This begs the question: Would you rather put out money for the fees in the table above using your savings, or pay a small amount monthly?
It saves your family from worrying
When you get hospitalised and you’ve eaten through your savings (which can happen quickly), your family will start looking for ways to pay the bills. This adds worry to their already stressful situation given that one of their loved ones is already hospitalised.
So, to lift the burden from their shoulders, it would be wise to get a medical card so that all they have to worry about is you. By doing this, they can focus their attention on caring for you and doing non-monetary things that can help you get in tip-top shape in no time!
It saves your family (literally)
Another way a health card will save your family is by listing them as your dependents. This is because some plans can cover your entire family, which means every benefit that you’ll get, they’ll receive as well!
This means that your entire family doesn’t have to worry about a thing when it comes to paying hospital bills. Although it would be better if nobody gets sick, it will provide all of you with great peace of mind, knowing that you have a cushioning if anything goes wrong.
It helps you be aware of your health
The best medical cards in Malaysia will allow you to have unlimited consultations, which lets you be more aware of your health. With this benefit, you can easily schedule an appointment with your doctor whenever you feel something wrong and not worry about the medical bill.
Furthermore, setting up an appointment with the doctor at least once a year is important, especially if you’re getting old. Plus, gaining advice from medical professionals such as dietitians will improve your overall health because you’ll know what to do with your body.
For instance, By knowing which kind of food is harmful to your health, you can avoid them altogether and live a healthier lifestyle.
It helps prevent diseases from developing
If you take advantage of the unlimited consultation provided by your health card, you’ll have a better chance of avoiding diseases. This is because being checked by the doctor frequently will help them spot diseases before they even worsen inside your body.
In return, this will let you live a healthier life and save tons of money in the process. Trust us, the money that you’ll spend on buying a health card will be nothing compared to the hospital bills when you catch a chronic illness.
Always remember that prevention is better than cure!
How do I choose a medical card in Malaysia?
Now that we’ve hopefully nailed down the importance of having a medical card, we’ll teach you how to choose the best plan for you.
Check if they offer family coverage
If you’re a family man, one of the most important things to look for in a medical card is family coverage. This plan is great because it not only covers your hospital expenses but your kids’ and spouses’ as well!
This way, you won’t have to worry about shouldering a large amount of money in the unfortunate case that something happens to your loved ones. Just be sure to study the plan thoroughly to see what their coverage is.
On the other hand, single individuals with no kids might not need as much coverage. This is because they won’t have any dependents that require constant financial support, leading to them having more savings.
Find out what their waiting period is like
Almost all health insurance companies have a waiting period, it all boils down to how long you’re willing to wait. In some companies, you’d have to wait a month or two before you could enjoy the benefits of their health card while others have no waiting time at all.
Make sure to keep this in mind when it’s time to choose your plan. This is because you may get caught off guard when you get into an accident and find out that you couldn’t use your medical card yet.
Find the perfect premium for you
In insurance, the premium is the amount you pay every month or whichever cycle you’ve agreed upon with the insurer. You can either pay this quarterly, annually, bi-annually, etc., so make sure to pick one that would be most convenient for you.
Missing a payment may cause your policy to be invalid, which is why we recommend settling for something that you’re sure you can afford. This way, you won’t have to worry about missing payments in the future.
Choose the one that covers consultations and tests
There are some times when you want to confirm your medical condition before being hospitalised. For this need, we recommend choosing a health card that covers all consultations and tests.
This way, you can get diagnosed accurately while easing your mind in the process–a win-win situation!
We encourage looking for this in a medical card because a simple checkup can already cost you a bunch of money, especially in private hospitals. With this benefit, you won’t have to take money out of your pockets before you can even get hospitalised.
Check the post-hospitalisation coverage
After being treated in the hospital, you almost always have to go back for some additional consultations and tests. Without a proper health card, this can cost you tons of money, so make sure to find one that features post-hospitalisation coverage.
However, keep in mind that this type of coverage only goes for the same condition that you’ve been hospitalised for.
Take a look at the room and board costs
When you get hospitalised, you’d have to pay for the room that you’ll stay in, including all the supplies it comes with. In private hospitals, this cost can be as pricey as staying at a fancy hotel, which is why you should check the room and board coverage of the card.
Sometimes, the card doesn’t fully cover this expense, especially if the room belongs to the fancier suites. This is why you should know how much is the card’s coverage so that you’ll know which room to choose–nobody wants to overpay while they’re hospitalised, right?
Aside from that, we also recommend checking out the number of days/nights the card covers. It may not cover your entire admission, but it’s still better than having to pay for the whole thing, right?
Decide whether you want a home nursing care
The sad reality is that several people suffer a disability that renders them completely bedridden. If you fear that this happens to you in the future (knock on wood), you should find a medical card provider that offers home nursing care.
As you may have gleaned from its name, this coverage will provide you with 24/7 care inside your own home. This isn’t, however, a permanent fix, as healthcare providers would only cover specific weeks or months.
It’s more of a temporary fix that will allow your loved ones to find a permanent caretaker that can stay inside your home for long-term agreements.
Now that we’ve given you some of the things that you should look for in a health card, choose one that ticks the most boxes for your needs. Furthermore, make sure to get one that’s within your budget so that you don’t go overboard at the same time.
You can also check out our list of the best health insurance plans in Malaysia here if you want to start being insured today!