Prudential Insurance Agent In Kuala Lumpur

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Medical Card

Everyone is aware that the health care cost has been rising steadily over the years. It is increasingly crucial for everyone to own a medical card in case of accidents and injury, as with just a few nights stay at the hospital, and you could be slapped with a whopping bill of tens of thousands.

I have been a Prudential Insurance agent servicing the surrounding area of Kuala Lumpur and I’ve seen many people caught off guard in regards to their medical care.

There are many medical card plans from various major insurance companies to choose from, and they each have their own set of terms and conditions, with small differences here and there. It is important to know these differences early on, to prevent any unwanted surprises when time of need comes.

Following are some of the questions you should ask your agent before taking up a medical card:

Can I admit myself to any hospital?

Every insurance company have a list of panel hospitals. You might need a Letter of Guarantee from the company to be admitted, and some hospitals, even if it’s a panel hospital, might require a deposit for non-medical related items, admission fees, phone calls, etc.

If circumstances forces you to be admitted into a non-panel hospital, you’re likely to be required to settle the bill first and make the claim from the insurance company later.

Do I get a bonus if I don’t make any claims for the year?

Just like how you might get discounts for not making a claim from your car insurance, check if you’ll get a non-claim bonus from your insurance for not making any claims for the year.

Some insurance companies would credit discounts in various forms, such as additional units into your investment account (if your insurance is investment linked) or you might have the option to withdraw the bonus instead.

Is my policy guaranteed renewable and non-cancelable?

Some medical card policies are reviewed by the year, which makes it possible for companies to cancel your policy or not allow you to renew if your health situation has worsen, or if you’d made too much claims in the past.

They might increase your premium instead, as you might be deemed as a riskier client to cover. Make sure you pick an insurance company that wouldn’t do that to you.

Is the insurance company handling its own medical card operations?

Find out if the insurance company manages and handles its own medical card operations, instead of outsourcing to a third-party company. Such a company would normally have delays and errors in its operations as there are more parties involved in the whole process.

Do I have the option to extend my policy to an older age?

Check if you could opt to continue your medical coverage further than the original plan. Some allows you to extend to 70, 80, and even 100 years old.

How about pre-hospitalisation and post-hospitalisation medical costs?

It’s good to find out first if you could claim the medical costs incurred before your hospitalisation and after you’ve been discharged. If you can, check how many days pre- and post-hospitalisation is within the coverage.

How about if I travel overseas?

It’s terribly important to make sure you’ve got medical protection when you’re travelling overseas, so find out if your policy takes care of your medical expenses outside the country.

There’s usually a timeframe of how many days since you’ve left the country that is within coverage.

Lynn Yap is a Prudential Insurance agent covering the surrounding area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. If you are looking for a friendly and dedicated Prudential Insurance agent in KL, contact her at ==> prufriend [at] gmail [dot] com