January 23, 2026
KUALA LUMPUR – A new, affordable medical insurance plan is in the works for all Malaysians.
They could be paying a monthly premium of as low as RM50 with the Base Medical and Health Insurance/Takaful (MHIT) plan, which will be rolled out in early 2027.
According to the MHIT White Paper released yesterday, there are two plans, namely the Standard Plan and the more affordable Standard Plus Plan.
The monthly premiums for the Standard Plan for those aged between 31 and 35 has been set at RM80 to RM120 per month, while for Standard Plus, it is from RM50 to RM70.
Those aged 61 to 65 will pay between RM280 and RM350 per month for the Standard Plan, while for Standard Plus, they will be paying RM220 to RM280.
Those aged above 75 will be paying between RM500 and RM780 per month for the Standard Plan, while Standard Plus will cost them RM400 to RM660.
However, the announced rates are only estimates. The actual premiums will be announced closer to the launch in 2027.
The premiums for those aged between 36 and 60 or between 66 and 74 have yet to be announced.
The premiums payable will also be subject to periodic reviews to ensure that they remain sufficient for payouts.
“The annual policy limit is set at RM100,000. This limit is supported by recent medical claims distributions and trends which suggest that the limit would be adequate to cover 99% of treatment across a range of common medical conditions, even after allowing for the possibility of multiple admissions,” said the White Paper released by Bank Negara.
Recognising that older individuals may be more likely to have multiple and more complex medical conditions which can lead to higher treatment costs, the annual policy limit automatically adjusts upwards to RM150,000 for those aged above 60.
“This will provide an additional level of protection that ensures the annual limit remains relevant over a person’s lifetime,” the White Paper said.
Individuals will also have the option of buying a Standard Plus base MHIT plan that provides a higher amount of coverage with an annual policy limit of RM300,000, at considerably lower premiums.
“Under this plan, individuals will bear the costs of hospital bills up to the deductible amount in the event of a hospitalisation episode, and the plan will pay for any costs above that amount.
“For the Standard Plus plan, the deductible levels of between RM10,000 and RM15,000 are being considered, in line with comparable products in the market,” the White Paper added.
This plan caters to individuals who are already covered by employer medical benefits or have the ability to bear a larger share of payments for hospital bills, and only wish to protect themselves against catastrophic expenditures.