Etiqa Family Takaful Bhd has launched i-Care OKU, the first online takaful plan that provides one-year coverage for persons with disabilities (PwD).
CEO, Zafri Ab Halim said i-Care OKU, which covers those with visual, hearing, speech and/or other physical disabilities, has been designed to make application easy with no medical check-ups required
“With i-Care OKU, applicants will not be required to submit a medical report. Instead, they need to be holders of an OKU card issued by the Department of Social Welfare.
The contribution is also affordable starting from as low as RM0.33 a day for coverage of up to RM40,000 and they need to renew the plan on a yearly basis,” he told a press conference after the launch of i-Care OKU by Member of the Upper House and OKU Sentral founder Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi today.
Zafri said other benefits include daily hospital allowance of up to RM55 per day upon hospitalisation, death benefit that covers funeral expenses, and medical reimbursement benefit of up to RM400 for medical treatment due to accidents.
Under the special care benefit, the certificate holder will receive cash upon diagnosis of dengue, COVID-19 or any communicable disease that requires quarantine law in Malaysia.
Moreover, he said, applicants with more than one disability are also eligible to apply for the plan, as i-Care OKU allows PwD with maximum of two disabilities to participate.
However, their disabilities should be a combination of a physical disability and either a hearing, visual, or speech disability.
Meanwhile, Ras Adiba said while there are an estimated 4.9 million PwD in the country, only 619,273 have registered with the Social Welfare Department.
Among the biggest difficulties for the PwD is to obtain insurance especially for ward admission and surgery, unlike the able-bodied.
“Thankfully, the product launched today is an effort in that direction. For years, my activist friends and I have done our level best to get insurance companies to open their minds and give a little consideration to us (PwD),” she said.
Ras Adiba said it is hoped that other insurance companies will emulate Etiqa, which is providing coverage for different categories of disabilities under its plan, by offering convenience or benefits to the PwD group.
“Maybe not everyone can afford to obtain insurance, but I advise those with disabilities to seek advice from Etiqa, as the contribution for the plan is not expensive and payment is made only once a year,” she added.
i-Care OKU by Etiqa is available for purchase online via the Etiqa website starting today.
