The Health Ministry has not dismissed the possibility that rising premiums for medical and health insurance or takaful products are driving more high-income (T20) individuals to seek treatment at public hospitals instead of private facilities.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad emphasised the need for mitigation measures to curb rising premiums, noting that this will require joint efforts between the ministry, insurance and takaful operators, as well as Bank Negara Malaysia, reported NST online.
“We cannot dismiss the possibility that if premiums continue to rise, not only will the middle-income (M40) group surrender their insurance or takaful policies, but the same could happen with the T20 group,” he said.
"That's why it's crucial to take mitigation steps to manage these premium increases. Ultimately, this could help ease the burden of medical inflation in our country, which is currently higher than the national average for insurance premiums."
Dr Dzulkefly underscored that all 150 government hospitals under the ministry are open to every Malaysian, regardless of income group.