Do we really need Insurance??

How many of us have medical card? life insurance or investment linked insurance plan?

I guess many people have realized the importance of insurance but sadly there are some who couldn't afford this.

I am not promoting any insurance company as I am not an agent.

I just feel like sharing.

I met a girl in the clinic recently and I wanted to refer her to a hospital.

She refused as she said, the last time she had an accident before and she went to A&E and had to wait for the whole night to be seen by a doctor. I guess her injury wasn't life threatening to be taken that long before the examination. Nevertheless, she felt worse because of the wait. So she refused.

Government facility is always pack and there is nothing that we can do about it.

It is better if you have the luxury of a choice to choose either to go to government facility or to private one.

Now, she was a Sasa worker and couldn't afford to go to private.

She has no insurance.

She refuses to get blood check in government.

What should I do?

I searched for some IV drugs and set up line for hydration, let her rest.

She said that she felt better, the pain has gone. That was because I gave her some analgesic but her fever has dropped from 40-39'C. Still high.

She felt better after the drip.

I changed the antibiotic and said to come early in the morning for blood test and to go to emergency if you feel worse.

I also told her if you refuse government facilities, you need to get an insurance. There will be time when you really need to get admitted and you cannot refuse it. You never know what might come by in the future.

In this case, her condition wasn't that bad except she was in pain and everything she did and the gp did before wasn't working.

Having an insurance means if anything happens to you, you and your family will be covered.

If you need to be admitted, need an operation, the costs will be bear by the insurance company. That includes the expensive treatments of chemotherapy, radiotherapy for cancer.

Some family even became broke after the father had a major stroke. His business came to drain and his family has to continue supporting his medical cost eventhough the children were still studying.

In case of having insurance, you will get the money back as a saving at a certain age chose by you.

It is also important to find a good insurance company, to ask around and to choose a proactive agent.

Now I am going to share my stupid story.

Last year I was approached by MCIS Zurich agent. The agent was a sister to a nurse in my hospital. So I agreed to meet her.

I signed up on the insurance and investment plan.

After 7 months, I had an accident which gave me a bad backpain and I was on wheelchair for almost a month. I was also on MC for almost a month.

My agent assured me that I could claim my bills.

After I submitted all the necessary documents, she took 5 months before she told me that the insurance company informed her that I could claim a treatment for a week after the accident. Which means only the a&e bill and 1 orthopedic consultation. The rest treatment for a month I need to bear myself.

Ya whatever!!

I was pissed off because she took 5 months before informing me about the results when all the while she told me that I could claim all the treatments. Making me searched for the bills and went to and fro to the hospital to get the doctor's report. If I knew I couldn't claim them, I wouldn't bother myself with the ordeal.

She also admitted that she wasn't proactive enough and didn't follow up my case well.

Which made me chase her after a month of no word.

In this case the agent was not well informed which leads to giving wrong information, wrong expectations to clients and a result of an annoyed client.

So I said fine, just keep all the claim money that I am entitled to which was 100 plud as I was tired to get more documents.

I was going to terminate my policy and everything.

From then on, I started comparing other insurance products and discovered the wide differences.

So, don't make the mistake that I did.

Search well for the benefit of your money.

Ask questions and lots of questions to your agent.

Get a proactive agent not the soft type, the need a nudge type.

Those kind of people, even if they don't sell insurance, they are not the fight and win type.

Life is a struggle so there is no space for a 'kena ketuk baru jalan' type.

So I found a Great Eastern insurance for Isabella, one which comes with a medical card and education fund. The explaination was satisfying, the attitude of the agent was also promising and the policy itself was great. By the age of 21, she will receive a sum of approximately RM 70 000 plus. I can use that for her college.

We are still comparing with another company to decide the best for her.

I am also looking for more investment opportunity, savings for my retirement plan.

If you guys know more, you can share with me.

Thank you