Free healthcare for B40

Medical scheme covering 36 critical illnesses launched for our poorest

PETALING JAyA: Come Jan 1, the poor will benefit from a free medical scheme, covering 36 critical illnesses including AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, blindness, cancer and heart attack.

The National B40 Protection Scheme – which would cover the bottom 40% of households in Malaysia – would have an initial fund size of RM2bil as announced in Budget 2019, said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.

He said the scheme would provide free medical coverage for five years.

“This scheme will provide health insurance and takaful protection for free to qualified low-income households or the B40 group as a form of aid to cope with hardship arising from health issues, critical illness and hospitalisation that may adversely impact the income streams of their households.

“Recipients will receive payment of up to RM8,000, with disbursement over a period that will be announced,” he said in a statement yesterday.

In the event of hospitalisation, the scheme would also pay out RM50 daily for up to 14 days or RM700 per year as income replacement, he said.

The scheme’s registration and customer support services, he added, would be operating from March 1 and could be carried out electronically.

Qualified recipients do not need to undergo medical examination and will be notified through SMS.

Further information on the mechanism and implementation of the scheme will be disclosed during its official launch early next year.