KUALA LUMPUR: The government will study the feasibility of the proposed portability of medical and health insurance/takaful (MHIT) products to ensure continuous and effective access to care, said Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying. She highlighted the need for robust data sharing mechanisms, including sharing policy records with accurate and up-to-date information on policyholders’ claims history, waiting periods, and benefits collected, to facilitate this initiative.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Lim emphasized that this data sharing mechanism would require adequate technological infrastructure, such as a secure database, to enable insurance companies and takaful operators to verify and transfer policyholder information securely. This was discussed during a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat, in response to a query from Datuk Mumtaz Md Nawi (PN-Tumpat) regarding the necessity for takaful medical and coverage card consumers to change their operators without recalculating the waiting period
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Lim further explained that MHIT products differ significantly from mobile phone numbers, as they involve long-term risk accumulation and stringent consumer behavioral requirements. The waiting period serves as a protective measure against fraud and abuse, preventing policyholders newly diagnosed with a medical condition from exploiting insurance coverage without contributing to the risk pool first.

Such abuse could lead to increased claims costs and premiums or contributions, potentially impacting the affordability for other policyholders and the continuity of the MHIT products, Lim noted.