bellynbella

Hi all,

Whats the go with health insurance so my family and I are covered in both countries? Do we get individual country health insurance or just a standard expat health insurance that covers for both countries?
I think I read some where that any claim is to be paid first by ourselves and then claimed back from insurance company. Does this sound right and is this correct for both countries.

Basically, whats the inside scoop please

Many thanks.

roystevenung

Correct me if I am wrong, I am assuming that you will be working in SG and living in MY?

For a non-Malaysian who gets a Malaysian class policy coverage is only given for hospitalization in Malaysia. This is because of the exchange rate where SG > MY. Also the premium paid is in RM and not SGD.

If you need to travel to other countries, then you will need to buy travel insurance with medical. For example the costs for a heart bypass in US (>USD 100K) vs the cost for the same procedure in Malaysia (< RM70K)

If you are employed in SG, you could also negotiate for health insurance to be included for SG and only buying a MY policy.

Literally it boils down to your budget and needs. It also depends on how much time you spend in each country.

Nijntje2518

I guess a minimum level of health insurance is compulsory? We are also looking to move to JB but continue working in Singapore, so my company's health-insurance will continue to cover us for all the "normal" stuff - I will probably retain my GP & dentist here, for example - so will just be looking for a basic cover for emergencies, when I can't drag myself across the Causeway to a doctor :-)

Thanks,

Jessica

bakedbean

And Singapore hospitals are flipping expensive too though, admittedly, good expertise of course.

roystevenung

In Malaysia the insurance concept is a little bit different from the west. In the west whatever you can think of, can be insured, with a premium of course.

For example dental insurance, which costs the max RM2-3K (wisdom tooth surgery) or just a visit to the dental to clean < RM 100. Dental/pregnancy complication is not covered in a Malaysian class policy, to name a few.

If you are able to self insure this small amount, you could actually save on paying premium price to the insurer

Insurance is also about planning and getting the right plan. Some of the yearly renewal plans though appears cheap has clauses that once a major claim for example heart bypass, the next year it will be renewed with exclusion. Do read the contract fine prints.

What most people are generally more concern of in Malaysia is the bigger bills, for example cancer, heart bypass, stroke, paralysis where a lump sum of money is needed to finance for the operation.

Roy



Roy

ex reg

IMO Sing hospitals or the doctors/consultants are too quick to want to do this that and the other without thought.
Or perhaps the thought is $$

I saw the Deputy Head of Surgery at a well known private hospital here who said I needed some surgery which he could do for me the following afternoon.
Seemed a bit silly to me so I waited until I was in UK a month or so later.
When I saw the consultant there, 2 months after again, he did some tests and concluded no problem carry on nothing to see.
That was 4 or 5 years ago and no problem.

roystevenung

^ With a MY medical insurance you are able to seek second opinion and claim the bill should it resulted in a surgery related to the condition.

Seeking different opinions from different doctors helps to determine the severity of the issue.

However if there is no surgical procedure, then it is not claimable as it is considered diagnostic check up.

bellynbella

So it seems that if we have major cover in SG and min cover in Malaysia, that would be best? If something major happens we can go to Singapore but for accidents and emergencies whilst at home/school/weekends we can go to Malaysia hospital. Does that seem right?

roystevenung

Should be the other way round since your home is in MY.

If something major (unless its an accidental emergency) were to happen and the costs of the same surgical procedure is half of the cost or lesser just across the causeway and is closer to home, wouldnt it make sense to have it done in MY?

bellynbella

Good point Roystevenung! Thanks all.

Froggybarnacle2000

Hello bellynbella! If you are a Singapore EP/DP holder, you will be able to get health insurance in Singapore that covers both Sgp and Johor. Unless you have a Malaysian EP or MM2H, you will not be able to purchase health insurance in Malaysia.

Last August my husband was thinking of getting health insurance in Malaysia. We asked the JB branches of AXA and Prudential about purchasing health insurance. Of course their premiums were much lower than the one we were paying annually for our AXA plan in Singapore, and covered the same items on the rider we had. Inasmuch as they would have wanted to provide us with the insurance, they could not sell it to us as my husband did not have a Malaysian EP or MM2H. Apparently it is a prerequisite .

My family and I are on the AXA Smartcare Optimum health insurance plan in Singapore. When we moved to Johor Bahru last year we immediately informed our insurance agent of the change of address, and we made it clear that we wanted the plan to cover hospitalisation in JB as well. He arranged everything, and AXA added 15% to the premium we were paying since we lived outside of Singapore. Our plan covers hospitalisation in Singapore, Johor Bahru and Nusajaya only. Happily we have not had the need to be hospitalised in JB yet (fingers crossed!) We have used the insurance to cover my husband’s emergency surgery in Singapore early last month (had to go into Singapore as the specialist was available in the early hours of the morning). It was charged to his company credit card. We duly submitted the claim forms. Our claim was successful and AXA is reimbursing us the full amount of the surgery via cheque next week.

We still visit our dentist in Singapore though as my daughter likes her a lot! And we’ve found really good GP’s here in JB and at Columbia Asia Hospital in Nusajaya. I am managing my asthma, and my GP in Johor Bahru provides me with the same nebulisers at half the price that I was paying my doctor in Singapore for the past nine years!

roystevenung

Hi Froggybarnacle2000,

Since you are now staying in Malaysia, you may reapply for a Malaysian class policy.

If it is approved, and during admission all you need to pay is a small deposit ranging from Rm300-Rm500.

Should the surgery bill were to costs Rm30k, it will be paid from the insurer to the hospital directly without you having to standby that sum of money.

Once discharged, you may collect back the deposits minus whatever that is not paid by the insurer, for example if you took anything from the bar.

Froggybarnacle2000

Hello roystevenung,
Thank you for the input! The two insurance companies in JB that we spoke with know that we live in JB. However a Tenancy Agreement and a JB-based bank account wasn't enough for them. They were insistent on us having Malaysian EP or MM2H, otherwise no go. As I mentioned we are only holding Sgp EP/DP.
Anyway, no worries, we are quite happy with the service rendered us by AXA Singapore at the moment!

roystevenung

Hi Froggybarnacle2000, if you dont mind my asking, did the insurer have extra loading or exclusion on the asthma that you were having?

If its an inconvenient, just ignore my curiosity.

Froggybarnacle2000

Hi roystevenung, I don't mind your asking at all...My asthma has always been excluded from the insurance coverage since it was pre-existing, i.e. I have had it since childhood. So all of my asthma maintenance is out-of-pocket.