mySalam, the Government’s free public healthcare protection scheme introduced under Budget 2019, has been given a boost to cover more critical illnesses and an extended B40 and M40 groups.
[NOTE] Applications for M40 group close after 31 March 2020.
Effective 1 January this year, mySalam covers nine more critical diseases including polio, bringing the number up to 45.
Introduced last year, mySalam (formerly known as the B40 Health Protection Fund) is aimed at Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) recipients aged between 18 and 65, and their spouses. As part of Budget 2020, the age limit has been increased from the original 55 to 65. The scheme is also extended to single individuals aged between 40 to 65, earning less than MYR24,000 per annum and OKU individuals aged between 18 and 65, earning less than MYR24,000 per annum.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng announced that the scheme also covers an extended M40 group—non-BSH recipients aged between 18 and 65, earning less than MYR100,000 per year. This means that e-Tunai Rakyat recipients will also qualify for mySalam. The M40 group is defined as individuals who earn MYR8,300 and below a month.
“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,” the minister said.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng
The expansion of the scheme will impact 8 million Malaysians by the end of 2020, with the original MYR2 billion allocation said to be sufficient to cover the scheme.
A total of 4.3 million individuals aged between 18 and 55 years and their spouses were registered for BSH 2019 and were protected under mySalam in 2019.
“A total of 9,662 individuals have received assistance amounting to RM13.7 million. Of the total, 1,448 individuals received critical illnesses benefits and the remaining 8,214 individuals received hospitalisation allowance,” Lim said.
List of critical illness covered by mySalam
- Alzheimer’s Disease / Severe Dementia
- Angioplasty and Other Invasive Treatments for Coronary Artery Disease
- Bacterial Meningitis – resulting in permanent inability to perform Activities of Daily Living
- Benign Brain Tumour – of specified severity
- Blindness – Permanent and Irreversible
- Brain Surgery
- Cancer – of specified severity and does not cover very early cancers
- Cardiomyopathy – of specified severity
- Chronic Aplastic Anemia – resulting in permanent Bone Marrow Failure
- Coma – resulting in permanent neurological deficit with persisting clinical symptoms
- Coronary Artery By-Pass Surgery
- Deafness – Permanent and Irreversible
- Encephalitis – resulting in permanent inability to perform Activities of Daily Living
- End-Stage Liver Failure
- End-Stage Lung Disease
- Full-Blown AIDS
- Fulminant Viral Hepatitis
- Heart Attack – of specified severity
- Heart Valve Surgery
- HIV Infection Due To Blood Transfusion
- Kidney Failure – requiring dialysis or kidney transplant
- Loss of Independent Existence
- Loss of Speech
- Major Head Trauma – resulting in permanent inability to perform Activities of Daily Living
- Major Organ / Bone Marrow Transplant
- Motor Neurone Disease – permanent neurological deficit with persisting clinical symptoms
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Paralysis of Limbs
- Parkinson’s Disease – resulting in permanent inability to perform Activity of Daily Living
- Primary Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension – of specified severity
- Serious Coronary Artery Disease
- Stroke – resulting in permanent neurological deficit with persisting clinical symptoms
- Surgery to Aorta
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus With Severe Kidney Complications
- Third Degree Burns – of specified severity
- Occupationally Acquired Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection
- Terminal Illness
- Medullary Cystic Disease
- Apallic syndrome (ie. Persistent Vegetative State (PVS))
- Poliomyelitis
- Progressive scleroderma
- Chronic Relapsing Pancreatitis
- Elephantiasis
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (Mad Cow Disease)
Benefits for BSH recipients
Protection includes a one-time payout of MYR8,000 upon diagnosis of one of the 45 critical illnesses and a MYR50 daily hospitalisation income replacement (cap of MYR700 per annum) at any government, military or university hospitals.
Benefits for non-BSH recipients
Protection includes a one-time payout of MYR4,000 upon diagnosis of one of the 45 critical illnesses and a MYR50 daily hospitalisation income replacement (cap of MYR700 per annum) at any government, military or university hospitals.
For patients who have been warded due to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, they are also eligible for the MYR50 daily hospitalisation income replacement—up to 14 days in the year.
All eligible individuals will be notified by SMS that they are covered under the scheme.
If you’re a non-BSH recipient, you can register at the mySalam portal. Read the official FAQ here.
VIA The Edge Markets, mySalam
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