KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 (Bernama) -- “You never really know how it feels until it happens to you” – a common phrase that is dogged by trepidation and, at times, loss. More and more people today face the risk of experiencing this feeling as the health of Malaysians continues to be a concern, particularly in the increasing rates of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) in the country.
 
Putting this into perspective, AIA PUBLIC Takaful Bhd. (AIA PUBLIC Takaful) hopes to bring greater awareness to the prevalence of critical illnesses among Malaysians and the importance of being financially secured; encouraging them to make conscious decisions to lead a healthier lifestyle by offering solutions that not only protects them at times of need but also when they are healthy.
 
The common perception towards critical illness – an umbrella term that covers major medical emergencies including non-communicable diseases such as stroke, cancer and heart attacks – is that it happens unexpectedly, suddenly, or even rarely. However, there are underlying health and medical concerns that increase a person’s risk towards critical illnesses such as pre-existing cardiovascular conditions, namely diabetes, hypertension, and high blood pressure. According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019, 1.7 million people in Malaysia live with these three major risk factors¹.
 
Adding to this fact is that younger generation may mistakenly assume that they have a less likely chance of contracting a critical illness. Statistics reported by the National Cardiovascular Disease (NCVD) 2014-2015 Annual Report of the Acute Coronary Syndrome Registry showed that Malaysians suffer heart attacks at a younger age compared to those in developed countries, with the average age being 58.6 years compared to between 63.4 and 68 years in most developed countries².
 
Elmie Aman Najas, Chief Executive Officer of AIA PUBLIC Takaful says: “Critical illness is seldom at the forefront of people’s minds due to their non-communicable nature or associating it as a condition that comes with age. The current pandemic however gives us a glimpse into the nature of critical illness – it is unforeseen, can happen to anyone regardless of age and may impact us financially as the advancement in treatment and medication often incur greater than average medical costs. Hence, it is crucial for a person to not only obtain adequate medical coverage but to further enhance their protection with comprehensive critical illness plan for a complete peace of mind.”
 
According to the NHMS, 46% of Malaysian adults do not have any form of supplementary financial coverage for their healthcare needs and that only 22% of Malaysians have some form of personal health insurance. A majority of people in the country (81%) used their income to pay for health services while about 36% used their savings, and about 11% of them borrow from family and friends.
 
“The lack of awareness on having insurance and takaful protection, let alone proper coverage is a cause of concern. Over the years, medical costs in Malaysia has increased by 13.1%, mainly due to the availability and adoption of new medical technologies and equipment³. With the medical inflation rate increasing between 10 and 15% each year, the cost for cancer treatment, for example is projected to be over RM 2 million by the year 2035⁴,” added Elmie.
 
AIA PUBLIC Takaful’s award-winning cancer protection plan - A-Life Cancer360-i can be one of the immediate solutions to help address this concern as it provides coverage from the early stages of cancer to the more advanced stages, up to age 80. It offers high protection with a minimum coverage amount of RM50,000. At the point of diagnosis of early-stage cancer, customers will receive a lump sum payment of 30% of the sum covered, with another 20% of the coverage amount paid out to help customers in their journey to recovery during the critical period (first year) from the date of diagnosis.
 
The plan also offers a Power Reset benefit that resets customers’ coverage amount to its full amount a year after the date of the diagnosis, so that they can enjoy the full coverage for the remainder of their certificate term.
 
To drive greater awareness on the importance of critical illness protection, AIA PUBLIC Takaful is running a special campaign for its new and existing customers from 1 January to 14 February 2021. Customers who participate in A-Life Ikhtiar, its family takaful plan and attach the A-Plus CriticalCare-i critical illness rider as well as signs-up to become an AIA Vitality member will receive a Fitbit Inspire 2* device worth RM498.
 
“It is never too early for one to be prepared. As a takaful provider, we will continue to play our part in responding to our customers’ concerns and addressing their takaful protection needs. We hope that through our solutions and latest offerings, it will provide them with accessible means to obtain the right coverage for themselves and their loved ones especially during these challenging times - ultimately helping them live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives,” added Elmie.
 
AIA PUBLIC Takaful’s A-Life Cancer360-i plan recently won the “Race for Cover” award at the Takaful StarNite 2020 organised by the Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA). The takaful operator was also the winner of the Direct Distribution Channel (Family Takaful Business) category and received a special innovative award for its health solution, A-Plus Health-i plan. The ‘Race for Cover – Towards Takaful 2020’ initiative is a concerted effort by the industry, led by MTA to promote the importance of Family Takaful to Malaysians.
 
For more information on the range of products, solutions and customer campaigns offered by AIA PUBLIC Takaful, please visit www.aia.com.my
 
*Campaign terms and conditions apply.

¹ National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019