Refugee Medical Insurance (REMEDI) FAQ
Understanding Insurance Wordings
What does ‘pre-existing illnesses’ mean?
‘Pre-existing illness’ means an illness you already had or been suffering from before you enrolled into REMEDI. You may be considered to have reasonable knowledge of a pre-existing illness if:
• You have received or you are receiving treatment;
• Medical advice, diagnosis, care or treatment has been recommended;
• Clear symptoms are evident;
• Its existence would have been clear to a reasonable person in the circumstances.
What does ‘specified illnesses’ mean?
• Cardiovascular disease
• All cancers
In other words, you cannot make a claim for the above two conditions within the first 120 days after you buy the insurance.
On the leaflet, it says “some conditions are excluded from this insurance.” What does this mean?
What does ‘inpatient’ and ‘outpatient’ treatment mean?
Inpatient care is care provided in a hospital or other type of inpatient facility, where you are admitted, and spend at least one night—sometimes more—depending on your condition.
• Outpatient Treatment
Outpatient treatment is any health care service provided to a patient who does not require staying overnight in a hospital. This includes patients who visit a hospital for treatment (which may take a few hours to perform) and return home the same day.
What is considered an ‘admission’?
Does daycare count as a hospital admission?
Insurance Coverage
Why are children under 18 years not covered under REMEDI?
Is there a family plan?
Why doesn’t the insurance cover private hospitals?
Can I use the insurance at clinics or for outpatient services at hospitals?
No, the insurance is only for hospital admission where you spend at least one night in the hospital.
Why are pre-existing illnesses not covered?
Insurance is a tool to protect yourself financially from unexpected events or future risks, like accidents, or illnesses. If pre-existing conditions were covered, people may wait to buy insurance only when they are already sick, which would lead to higher costs for insurers and higher premiums for everyone. Insurance providers operate by spreading risk across a large pool of people. If someone already has a medical condition before purchasing insurance, the risk is higher for the insurer because it is more likely that the person will need expensive treatment. Covering pre-existing illnesses would increase the cost of claims significantly.
If I get into an accident but I do not have to be admitted into the hospital, will this still be covered under the insurance?
I am a refugee, and my husband was just admitted to hospital because he was seriously injured – should I go and purchase this insurance to cover his hospital bill?
Insurance works by collecting a modest contribution from everyone, so that when a person has to be hospitalized, this money is used to cover the high cost of hospitalization. As nobody knows in advance who will need to be hospitalized, all refugees and asylum-seekers should purchase insurance.
Buying Your Insurance
Should all individuals registered with UNHCR buy medical insurance?
What are the documents needed to purchase the medical insurance?
If I have lost my UNHCR card and now have a Certified True Copy (CTC) document, can I buy the insurance using the CTC?
Do I need a community card to buy insurance?
Can I buy on behalf of someone else?
Using Your Insurance
Where can I use REMEDI?
You can use your insurance at Non-Corporatized Malaysian Government Hospitals. You can view the full list of hospitals here.
What documents do I need to bring to the hospital?
If I have purchased insurance, do I have to pay when I am admitted to hospital?
Call: 011-3301 9019 / 011-3301 9020 / 03-6202 1190
Insurance Renewal
Do I still need to wait for 30 days before I can use my insurance when I renew it?
If I do not use my insurance at all during the year, will the balance be carried forward to the next year?
Issues and Questions on REMEDI
After purchasing the insurance, who can I contact if I have any questions?
If you have any questions, you can get in touch with the authorized Allianz agent whom you bought the insurance from. For admission and discharge related questions, you may contact Pra-Assist’s 24 Hour Support Centre:
Call: 011-3301 9019 / 011-3301 9020 / 03-6202 1190