Expanded mySalam will benefit 8 mln people this year – Lim

PUTRAJAYA: The public health protection scheme mySalam is expanded by covering nine more critical diseases including polio, making it 45 illnesses against 36 before, effective Jan 1 this year.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the scheme expansion also involved an increase in age limit to 65 from 55 previously, Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) recipients who are single and the disabled persons.

The scheme is also extended to M40 group with an annual gross income of RM100,000 and below, he said.

The protection includes a oneoff payment of RM4,000 and daily hospitalisation allowance of RM50 for a maximum 14 days for those admitted in a government hospital, university medical hospital and army hospital, he said.

“The government expects the expansion of the scheme will benefit some eight million individuals by year-end,” said Lim at the launch of the extended mySalam scheme here yesterday.

Among those present were Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and his deputy Dr Lee Boon Chye, and Finance Deputy Minister Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah.

The scheme previously offered two types of benefits for 36 critical illnesses, whereby recipients were entitled to receive a one-off payment of RM8,000 and hospitalisation allowance of RM50 at any government hospital, university medical hospital and army hospital for a maximum 14 days or RM700 per annum. Lim said eligible BSH single recipients and the disabled could file their claim from May this year after BSH registration finalised.

For individuals in the M40 group, the registration began yesterday until March 31, he said.

Asked whether RM2 billion allotted for mySalam was sufficient, Lim said it was more than enough as the scheme was aimed to offer healthcare social network for those with critical illnesses. — Bernama