MCA Sets up NGO to Help Unfairly Treated Insurance Claimants

The MCA Civil Society Movement Bureau has set up a non- governmental organization to seek justice for unfairly insurance claimants, says its chief Ng Kian Nam.

During a virtual press conference, Ng said, “the Campaign To Protect the Right of Insurance Consumers of Malaysia (CPRICM) was set up after we received appeals from over 30 insurance policyholder for help.”

He added, “they suffered unfair treatment by the insurance companies who terminated their life and medical policies at a time when they and their families needed the protection the most.”

It was reported that most of the cases involved those undergoing life-saving treatment but were left in a tight spot after being told that their policies were rejected for breaching the medical history disclosure clause.

Chief Ng Kian Nam explained apart from dealing with physical anguish, the patients were now faced with the added mental stress of having their insurance protection taken away.

“I had a case where a person passed away even before having the chance to claim the insurance payment.”

Ng said CPRICM aims to create better awareness among consumers to know their rights as insurance policyholders while seeking a review of certain practices by the insurance industry. Among them was the medical history disclosure clause involving around 140 items.

Also, Ng stated that most insurance agents fail to properly advise their clients resulting in problems only after the insurance policies are purchased.

In one case, Dr Amelia Siah Siang Yee expressed disappointment after insurance policies for her and her infant daughter purchased in 2019 were terminated by the insurance company after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in June last year for non-disclosure.

She said, “my claims with two insurance companies were successful but one was rejected as I had undergone an MRI scan in February 2018 for back pain. There is no relevancy between my back pain and cancer.”

Adding that she did not require any medical treatment for her back pain in 2018. She also questioned why her infant’s daughter’s policy was also terminated when there was no relevance to her claim.

Meanwhile, Ng who is a lawyer stated that he will be sending a letter of demand to the insurance company today. He also urged those who have gone through unfair treatment by their insurance companies to contact CPRICM.

#BNNEWSONLINE