MediAsas: What Malaysians need to know about the new basic medical insurance plan

Detailed summary

Malaysians struggling with rising medical insurance premiums may have a more affordable option when MediAsas, a basic medical insurance and takaful ...

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — Malaysians struggling with rising medical insurance premiums may have a more affordable option when MediAsas, a basic medical insurance and takaful plan, is rolled out nationwide in late January 2027.

Developed to widen access to basic medical protection, the plan will be supported by financial incentives announced under Budget 2027 to encourage more people to obtain coverage.

The measures are particularly relevant to workers whose employers do not provide medical insurance and policyholders finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their existing coverage because of rising premiums.

Here is what consumers should know about MediAsas and the additional measures introduced under Budget 2027.

Yes, existing medical insurance and takaful policyholders can switch to MediAsas with their current insurer or takaful operator without undergoing fresh medical underwriting or serving new waiting periods.

This could be particularly useful for policyholders facing higher premiums following medical insurance repricing who want to retain medical protection but can no longer afford their existing coverage.

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has encouraged existing policyholders to maintain their current policies until MediAsas becomes available, allowing them to consider switching if they wish.

Interim measures introduced by BNM currently limit annual premium adjustments arising from medical claims inflation to no more than 10 per cent for most policyholders, with these measures remaining in place until the end of 2026.

However, the 10 per cent limit applies specifically to adjustments arising from medical claims inflation and does not cover all possible reasons for premium increases.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Malay Mail. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.