Disabled faced with insurance dilemma
By LOONG MENG YEE
DESPITE being healthy and financially stable with his own multimedia design firm, G. Danny, 34, is unable to get any medical insurance cover.Over the phone, the sales agents are eager to sign him up, that is until they see that he is wheelchair- bound.
Danny is not alone in his predicament. Many other disabled people like him are unable to buy medical insurance as they are considered “high risk”.
“It is unfair. Apart from sitting in a wheelchair, I am perfectly healthy. I told the insurance agents I can produce medical reports certifying so, and that my cholesterol level was also low. But the agents do not want to sign me up,’’ he added.
Danny even tried to buy investment- linked insurance, but failed again.
The dilemma faced by the disabled in buying medical insurance was among the items on the agenda of a roundtable discussion at the 3rd Bakti-Mind Conference in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
Bakti (the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers) had set up the Malaysian Information Network on Disabilities (Bakti-Mind) project three years ago to empower and promote the quality of life of the disabled.
The 3rd Bakti-Mind project, themed Empowering persons with disabilities (PWD) through information provision and management, began on Thursday and will end today .
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali is the conference adviser, the organising chairman is Toh Puan Dr Aishah Ong, with Datuk Noorhayathi Kamaluddin as secretary and Datin Seri Wendy Ong as treasurer.
Danny participated in the roundtable discussion and related his frustration to a group of people who included representatives from the Life Association of Insurance Malaysia (LIAM).
The LIAM representatives said the association was keen to find out the needs of the disabled.
Another round of talks is scheduled for November, and by then, Danny hoped LIAM could offer him some packages, instead of closing the door on him - yet again.
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