If you have recently started planning your medical protection or have heard that you can receive extra “pocket money” when hospitalized, you may be curious about “Hospital Cash Allowance (Hospital Income Benefit)”. What exactly is this allowance known as medical card allowance? How much can you get per day of hospitalization?
Hospital cash allowance is a fixed cash compensation you receive based on the number of days you are hospitalized.
Many people think that having a medical card is enough, but when you need to be hospitalized due to illness or accident, in addition to medical expenses, you will also face other hidden costs. The main function of the medical card allowance is to serve as a supplement to the medical card. It can be used to pay for family members’ transportation expenses for hospital visits, meals, or purchasing nutritional products. More importantly, it can compensate for the income you lose due to being unable to work. This is an important safety net for daily-wage workers, freelancers, or office workers whose sick leave is insufficient.
Many Malaysians often confuse regular medical cards with hospital cash allowance. Simply put, they have clear differences in claims method and usage of funds:
The daily allowance amount you can receive mainly depends on the insurance plan and sum insured you purchased.
Simply seeing a doctor at an outpatient clinic and getting a medical certificate (MC) does not allow you to claim hospital cash allowance.
The core condition for claiming hospital cash allowance is “must be hospitalized” (Admission). In other words, if you only go to Klinik Kesihatan or a private clinic, get a two-day MC and rest at home, this does not qualify for a claim.
Generally, insurers require the insured to have actual hospital admission records, and usually stipulate that hospitalization must exceed a certain period (e.g., at least 6 hours or overnight) to successfully apply for this allowance.
Preparing to claim hospital cash allowance is actually not complicated. Just follow the steps below and prepare the required documents:
If I already have a company medical card, do I still need to buy my own hospital cash allowance?
It depends on personal needs. A company medical card usually only reimburses direct medical expenses, but income loss during sick leave, family members’ transportation and meal expenses for caregiving, etc., still need to be covered by hospital cash allowance. This allowance provides you with additional financial buffer.
Can I still claim hospital cash allowance after claiming medical expenses on the medical card?
Yes, the two do not conflict. After using the medical card to settle hospital bills, you can still apply for hospital cash allowance from the insurer based on the hospitalization records. The allowance is additional cash issued separately and belongs to a different claims mechanism from medical expense reimbursement.
Can I get the allowance for hospitalization due to any reason?
Not necessarily. It depends on the policy terms. Usually, pre-existing conditions, specific exclusions (such as cosmetic surgery, non-medically necessary hospitalization), or routine medical check-ups are not covered and cannot be claimed.
Is there a claims deadline for hospital cash allowance?
Yes. Most insurers stipulate that the claim must be submitted within 30 days after discharge. It is recommended to collect all medical reports and documents as soon as possible upon discharge to avoid missing the claims deadline.
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