Malaysia's public health protection scheme, mySalam, has been expanded to cover the middle 40 (M40) income group.
From covering some 4.3 million Malaysians aged between 18 and 55 in the bottom 40 (B40) income group, around 8 million people now stand to gain from the free public health protection scheme.
The scheme will also cover nine more critical diseases including polio, taking the total number of illnesses covered to 45 with effect from 1 January this year, announced Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.
He said, “The government is concerned about the financial challenges faced by the M40 group, especially in facing healthcare emergencies, and has decided to extend the scheme to those earning less than RM100,000.”
mySalam will now provide a one-off payment of RM4,000 (US$965) for M40 patients diagnosed with any of the criticall illnesses under the scheme. B40 patients receive a one-off payment of RM8,000.
Both groups are eligible to claim a daily payment of RM50 for a maximum amount of RM700 a year as replacement income if they are hospitalised with any of the critical illnesses.
Minister Lim also announced raising the age of eligibility from 55 to 65 for the scheme’s Cost of Living Aid (BSH) recipients and their spouses, and it also includes BSH bachelors and disabled people.
"A total of 9,662 individuals have received assistance amounting to MYR13.7m. Of the total, 1,448 individuals received critical illnesses benefits and the remaining 8,214 individuals received the hospitalisation allowance,” Mr Lim said.
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