Sunday, September 30, 2007

MATTA Fair and Your Travel Insurance

Glad to see travel insurance is getting public attention in the recent MATTA fair.

For your information, travel insurance is basically a personal accident insurance plus some additional benefits. The benefits covered vary widely among the insurance companies. You can choose a basic travel insurance plan which covers 1 to 2 benefits to a comprehensive plan which covers 10 to 20 benefits.

Just want to point out a benefit which may available in your travel insurance and hospitalization & surgical (H&S) insurance. Overlapping of benefit is a waste of money.

1) Emergency Assistance Services
(The common services include Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Services, Repatriation of Mortal Remains, Compassionate Visit and Return of Minor Children)

Some insurers cover the ARRANGEMENT and EXPENSES incurred for these Emergency Assistance Services.
Some insurers cover the ARRANGEMENT only. Please pay attention to this.

Most of the H&S insurance offered by life insurance companies in Malaysia covers the ARRANGEMENT and EXPENSES incurred for these Emergency Assistance Services.

However, no many H&S insurance offered by general insurance companies cover the ARRANGEMENT and EXPENSES incurred for these Emergency Assistance Services.

The maximum limit for Emergency Medical Assistance Services is ranging from RM100,000 to RM1,000,000 depending on the insurers. Check your H&S insurance now.

Conclusion:
The benefits covered by travel insurance vary widely among the insurance companies. Avoid overlapping of benefits and choose the one which best suit your need.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Second Hospitalization & Surgical Insurance is Not A Waste of Money Provided...

The ever-escalating medical treatment costs in Malaysia will cause the existing Hospitalization & Surgical (H&S) insurance policyholders to top-up their H&S insurance coverage. I foresee the overlapping of H&S insurance will become a big issue in the near future.

However, having two H&S insurance is not a waste of money provided your second H&S insurance is a deductible type. How do you know it is a deductible H&S insurance? A deductible H&S insurance is usually 50% cheaper than a normal H&S insurance in terms of premium rate (comparison based on the same maximum annual claim limit). Another crucial character of deductible H&S insurance is: a pre-determine amount of the medical bill, e.g. RM2,500 must be paid by you or your first H&S insurance before it pays.

Recently, I did a survey on 25 insurance companies who sell H&S insurance in Malaysia. Sad to say that there are only 4 insurance companies offered deductible H&S insurance. However, as a consumer, you wise may want to urge your insurance companies to come out with deductible H&S insurance to cater the rising need of having second H&S insurance.

Your effort will definitely help many innocent policyholders save money. Also, ask your friends to read this article if you know they hold at least two H&S insurance.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

What are the Rights of Malaysia Insurance Companies in Health Insurance Business?

Here are a few things which your insurance company can do in health insurance business:

1) The right to revise the premium at renewal

Insurance company has the right to revise the premium rate when your policy is due for renewal by giving a written notice prior to the due date. Of course, the company must get the approval from Bank Negara Malaysia (Central Bank of Malaysia) before they can increase the premium.

2) The right to reject your reinstatement application

Insurance company has the right to reject your reinstatement application. Please make sure that you pay the premium on time.


3) The right to stop selling this type of product (Portfolio Withdrawal Condition)

If the insurance company chooses not to continue to sell the H&S insurance product, they shall give a 30 days written notice to the policyholders in the event of portfolio withdrawal.

The insurance company still has the responsibility to take care of all existing policyholders until all their policies reach the respective renewal date.

Please log on to http://www.MalaysiaInsuranceGuide.com for details about Malaysian personal insurance.