satumadu

Hi everyone.
This is my first post; and I apologise for starting a new thread when there might be an appropriate thread already in existence; but it seems to take a very long time to load pages here.
Anyway, I was on Scott's old site, and hope some of that site's alumni might be here to help with a question I have.
I'm coming up for mm2h renewal, and I think I might have a problem with the health insurance requirement.
When I first applied in '07 I got the cheap insurance offered by MSIG in Penang. After acceptance I let it lapse, since it wasn't really good for much other than jumping through the mm2h hoop.
I am now approaching my 70th birthday, and need insurance. I had been thinking that I would not need insurance, since I will be over 70 when I re-apply. That was based on what I dimly remembered from my reading of the requirements ten years ago. I thought that insurance was not available to those over 70; and that the requirement would be waived. I think one had to get a letter from an insurance company stating that they would not cover anyone over 70.
Anyway, I checked out a couple of companies yesterday. Zurich will insure over 70 if one has an existing policy from the age of 65. So that's no good. I think that might be typical of the bigger companies policies.
A Prudential agent said they would cover me (subject to a medical exam), but at a cost of RM 3700/year. One year paid in advance mandatory. That is quite expensive; especially when MSIG only charged approximately RM 160/yr ten years ago.
It seems that MSIG's office is now only in K.L.. I will be contacting them to see what, if anything, they can offer. I will also keep searching for other options. But I am hoping that someone here can recommend an insurance company that will fill the need.
I am based in Perak; but would travel to Penang, or even KL, if necessary.
Again, sorry for starting a new thread. If more suitable thread already exists, perhaps admin can move my post there?

eCdD

I guess all the companies have offices in Ipoh.

I don´t know what MSIG (never heard anyway) offered ten years before, but for a standard health insurance from a local company like Kurnia the cheapest option for a 70 year old man is around RM 5000. Officially they will indeed not take you because 65 is the entry limit, but sometimes they do anyway. By the way, already for somebody over 40 the price now is more than RM 1000 a year. Maybe you were limited to government hospitals at this time.

Gunnar45

Has there been a change in the conditions for MM2H?
I mean, is there now a requirement for health insurance when one is over 65 years of age?
Earlier a rejection letter from a company which wouldn't accept you would have been enough.

quiltman

The equivalent to the MM2H here is the SRRV (Senior Retirees Resident Visa). This has no requirement for health insurance and like others on here, my age tends to preclude getting insurance from a company. Plus my wife has quite a few exisitng conditions and these would not be covered. I did manage to get a couple of quotes but these were well over US$1000 a MONTH! However, the Philippine government runs its own health insurance scheme - PhilHealth - and expats can join it. OK it only covers certain procedures and has many limitations on claims levels etc but still , any contribution towards medical costs is welcome! Does the Malaysian government have something similar for their population and can holders of the MM2H join? It's a big worry as you get older in a country where you have to pay for health care, so it looks like you need to join a scheme when younger that then allows you to have some cover when you pass their normal upper age limit.

SushiFan

You are referring to a new applicant. In this case is it about somebody who was approved 10 years ago, under the rules that were valid at that time. My guess is that at that time also rules were spelled out what the requirements would be for renewal. Probably those have been written in the Approval Letter which satumadu received at that time.
Maybe it would be better to either ask directly to the MM2H department, or to an agent who is well-versed in these kind of situations. I think that there are not many posters on this forum who have a similar experience.

Gunnar45

SushiFan,
I actually referred to renewal but based it on my own case.
I got my MM2H approval in early 2008 when >60 years old so I am up for renewal soon.
I actually applied in 2007, so I based the application on the conditions which were valid in late 2007.
For insurance, I just provided a letter from Tokio Marine stating that with 65 years of age I was too old to be accepted by them.

Regarding old conditions being valid, when I applied I used the FD option, which as per the rules valid at that time did not require any proof of income at renewal.
But despite this, because conditions have changed since then, for renewal I now have to prove MYR 10k monthly income.

But you are right, of course the conditions regarding health insurance (and other) may have changed in 2006/2007 before I applied....

SushiFan

That is a bummer. So even though they state that the renewal conditions will be the same as when you first applied, they change the rules as they go? In that case will it be difficult to predict what hoops you have to jump through if you want to renew your MM2H after 10 years. Makes it all rather unpredictable. That probably also means that you can't rely on experiences by others. It wouldn't surprise me that, in that case, they don't apply the rules regarding income/FD variably, but also the rules regarding health insurance variably.

Probably the topic starter (satumadu) would indeed be best of if he holds a letter from any health insurance company saying that they won't accept him due to age.

InVinoVeritas

A bummer indeed if this is now the general rule. I know someone who renewed last year and they didn't ask for proof of income from them.

Gunnar45

This is what it says on one of the agents website:
https://www.penangmyhome.com/mm2h-extension

Gunnar45

And this is the official MM2H website:
Apply For Renewal - MM2H Official Portal

But note that this pages latest update was in 2014!

InVinoVeritas

Yes, that is very clear, thanks Gunnar. Has it always been the case that the applicant has to be present in person for the renewal?

Gunnar45

Applicants presence has been a requirement already when I originally applied.

columbine

This shows there is no changes, not because they haven't updated it. It has always been whatever conditions you got accepted into the program you get to Renew on those same requirements.
I did not have to show proof of 10k at Renewal as I applied using the FD. Only those using Income (Govt approved pensions) must show proof of 10k income as they didn't use the FD route.
Initially my MM2H Visa was 5 Years and now it's 10 Years.
I've always followed the Official MM2H Web site, not the Agents' websites.

"Gunnar:Regarding old conditions being valid, when I applied I used the FD option, which as per the rules valid at that time did not require any proof of income at renewal.
But despite this, because conditions have changed since then, for renewal I now have to prove MYR 10k monthly income."

So Gunnar, were you asked to prove RM10k monthly income by the officer at Putrajaya?

InVinoVeritas

That's odd, I never went

(But I did use an agent)

Gunnar45

Columbine,
I use an agent for my MM2H issues.
The agent informed me that there has been a change in conditions for renewal and that there since some years back is a requirement to show income.
Maybe he based it on the below:
Announcements - Year 2012 - MM2H applications must submit bank account statements

As an application for visa renewal in fact is an 'application' and the word 'all' is mentioned with no exemption for renewals, maybe the agent considered this to be valid also for renewals.
I am not 100% sure, but I believe this issue was discussed in the old forum as well, so if it is still available look at posts around 2012/2013

That the Gov't page was latest updated in April 2014 would mean that they forgot to include the information given in the 2012 announcement....