Health expenses are actually quite manageable except when terminal diseases of cancer, diabetes strikes.
Cancer treatments commonly available in Malaysia include chemo and radio therapies. The next gen, already popular in more sophisticated societies are Molecular Targeted Therapies, where only the harmful cells are targeted. Downside is, cost for an advanced cancer can go as high as RM500,000 per treatment. Other than the rich who needs no insurance, insurance is the best way out for most of us.
Diabetes or specifically kidney dialysis is ever recurring and very costly.
Now why are AIA and AXA policies the worst: -
1. Look carefully at the contractual wordings aka fine prints, you will see that cancer out-patient and kidney-dialysis are the only 2 classes of treatment with lifetime cap.
So a promise of RM500,000 lifetime limit is not very useful when cancer outpatient is capped at RM20,000; right?
And kidney dialysis capped also at RM20,000.
Allianz policies do not cap, as long as the lifetime limit has not been exhausted, you can continue using the limits allocated.
2. For non cancer and non diabetic (kidney) related treatments, insurance companies don't lose alot. A complicated triple heart bypass only cost RM30K - 50K everywhere in Malaysia, that is nothing.
That is why the only company that make handsome profits from health insurance policies is AIA.
3. AIA policy even has stage claims, if you read the contractual wordings for all health products, you will find AIA's products most complex. And it is hardest to claim. That is why they offer the highest limit.
4. Co-insurance. Allianz is bad in this area, because if room and board entitlement is breached, 20% of overall bill has to be absorbed by the patient. ING &
GE does not have such requirement.5. Excess. Look out for excess in health insurance policies, introduced in 2006 by Bank Negara intervention. First RM500 or RM1000 to be paid by insured, to curb suka-suka masuk hospital. Modern day policies do not have such clauses anymore - if u have pls change.
If not mistaken, GE does have such 20% co insurance with no max cap if stay in >R&B limit