Many Malaysians have probably heard that having insurance is essential to a happy and healthy life. But how many of us actually believe that? When it comes to insurance, most of us would have to go through something traumatic in order for us to really realise the importance of it. That’s exactly what happened to these Malaysians who have shared their own eye-opening stories that taught them why it’s important to get insured.
1. “I thought investing made more sense than paying for insurance but I was wrong”
“When I was younger, I never understood the concept of insurance because it seemed almost like a waste. I thought that instead of paying for insurance, wouldn’t it be more fruitful to invest that money and get better returns?
However, that thought quickly turned into a huge mistake when I got warded for bronchitis. It happened so suddenly and I was totally unprepared for it. Unfortunately, at the time, my investment account was suffering a few losses so I ended up having to pay for everything using my savings account. That was when I learned that your insurance and your investments are NOT the same thing!” – Hanni, 32
2. “I thought relying on my company’s insurance alone would be sufficient”
“I knew that having insurance is important but as a fresh grad, it can be pretty costly! Plus, I rarely catch a cold so I thought I could just rely on the medical benefits that my company provided.
But last year, I moved to a new job and I got into a motorcycle accident just a few weeks after I started. At that point, I was still serving my probation period so I didn’t have any insurance to back me up! Thankfully I walked away with just minor bruises and scratches so I could still afford to pay for my treatment. That’s when I realised that even though your company can provide you with medical benefits, you should still get your own insurance because you just never know when disaster will strike!” – Razak, 26
3. “Wouldn’t insurance be useless if I have a pre-existing condition?”
“When I was in secondary school, my irregular period turned into an ovarian cyst diagnosis which turned my world upside down. Because of it, I was in and out of the hospital often and it drained my energy AND my parent’s bank accounts.
Fast forward to my adult years, whenever I was approached by insurance agents, I always turned them down because I thought it would be pointless for me to get a medical card since my illness would be considered a “pre-existing condition”. But it wasn’t until I got warded twice in the same year (once for a car accident and another when I caught dengue) did I realise that I actually still needed medical insurance because there are a million other ways I could get sick!” – Rin, 34
4. “My mom had to get surgery and her medical bills almost bankrupted us”
“As a single mother, my mum had to make sacrifices all her life just to make ends meet and raise her three children. Of course, this included forgoing her insurance in an attempt to cover our tuition fees. Shortly after her retirement, she was diagnosed with severe stomach ulcers and had to get surgery.
Since she didn’t have any insurance, the only option was to use her savings. Unfortunately, she also faced some complications which spiked the bill even more. My siblings and I had to chip in but because our savings were limited, we agreed to take out a small personal loan just to finish paying off the bills. The incident really opened our eyes and my siblings and I immediately got our own medical insurance to protect ourselves.” – Danish, 29
5. “In my twenties, insurance seemed like a luxury that I could never afford”
“Back in my twenties, insurance seemed like a luxury that I could never afford so I’ve always put off getting it. Soon after turning 32, I got admitted to a hospital when I caught the Influenza virus. I had to stay for a few days which made the hospital bill quite high. It even exceeded the amount I could claim from my company’s insurance.
As a result, I had to take quite a big chunk out of my emergency savings. After that, I finally decided to get insured but by then, I found out that my monthly insurance amount was higher due to my age! I wish someone would have told me this when I was younger so that I could get insured earlier!” – Luth, 35
From these stories, we can see that not only is it important to get your own medical card so that you can always be prepared, but it’s also important to get insured at a young age because it will only get pricier the older you get! However, we also understand that it may be confusing to choose the best coverage plans for yourself since there are so many options available. If you need some help with choosing, we’d recommend looking into this health insurance plan by Zurich!
Malaysians can feel more protected with Zurich Infinite Care health insurance plan that offers comprehensive medical care with No Claim Discount, Inflation Shield and more!
What can Zurich Infinite Care plan offer you? Here’s a breakdown!
- Stay healthy and save more!
If you rarely get sick, then this benefit might excite you! If you can stay healthy and not claim anything from the plan, you can enjoy up to 30% of No Claim Discount on your insurance charges.
- Save more with multiple Deductible options
If you want to find a plan that can best fit your needs, Zurich Infinite Care offers three different plans (Plan 300, Plan 500 & Plan 1,000) with multiple Deductible options. The best part is you can enjoy up to 77% savings on your insurance charges if you choose a higher Deductible amount. You can also choose a No Deductible option where your medical bill will be fully covered by the plan.
- Protection against inflation
Worried about the future and inflation, especially with the current economic climate? This plan understands your concerns which is why it comes with an Inflation Shield benefit that will provide a 20% increase on your Annual Limit for every 5 years.
- Customise a plan based on your needs
A good medical insurance plan should provide coverage based on your specific needs. That is why this plan offers an optional rider that you can choose to add on called Total Critical Care, which provides further coverage for selected Critical Conditions such as cancer, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and more.
Apart from that, Zurich Infinite Care also comes with other benefits, such as:
- Comprehensive medical coverage – Get up to RM1,000 for Daily Hospital Room and Board. You can also enjoy a high annual limit with no lifetime limit.
- Early years discount – As a reward for subscribing to this insurance plan, you’re entitled to enjoy a 35% discount in insurance charges for your first year and a 20% discount for your second year.
- Longer post-hospitalisation care – With this plan, your treatment doesn’t just end when you get discharged. You can still get reimbursement for diagnostic tests, specialist consultation and medication and treatment within 210 days after you get discharged.
- Medical assistance device benefit – Upon your discharge, if you require any medical assistance devices, you can also be reimbursed up to RM20,000 for devices such as a Defibrillator, Pacemaker and Artificial Limb.
- Retirement option – Worried about changes in your financial status? Fret not! With this plan, you can simply reduce your Deductible amount without underwriting after retirement at age 60, subject to terms and conditions.
Interested to sign up for this plan? You’ll be glad to know that there is an early bird campaign happening right now! Yup, from now until 4 February 2023, you can get a FREE Amazfit Bip 3 Pro when you attach to Zurich ValueLife plan! You can find out more about it on their campaign poster here.
For more information on Zurich Infinite Care health insurance plan, simply head over to the Zurich Infinite Care webpage here. You can also follow Zurich Malaysia on Facebook or Twitter to get the latest updates!
