Life insurance should play a vital role in your financial planning. It is actually a key to you being able to focus on the important things in life because it will provide protection and ensure financial security for you and your loved ones.
Still, we could say that many people do not own life insurance as they have already contributed to other financial schemes like medical insurance.
“I already have my medical insurance, which will cover all possible health issues I may have. Isn’t it enough? Why should I need life insurance?”
This is the common question that people have regarding insurance coverages. Are they not the same? No, they are not. Learn the differences between these two, and what are the benefits for the policyholder.
H1 What is Life Insurance?
Life insurance provides benefits in the form of financial assistance to your family upon your passing. It is a financial contribution scheme that requires your commitment to pay on a monthly/ annual basis.
Payment will be made to your dependent in a lump sum upon your death (for funeral expenses, ongoing living expenses, settle your debts, for children’s education) or in cases if you were becoming permanently disabled, then the payout will go directly to you.
It is important for you to name the dependents who will receive benefits when applying for life insurance. This will ease the process for insurance payments to be made in the future. Dependent insurance can cover your spouse’s children or any other eligible dependents, depending upon the rules laid out in the plan. But should there be no dependents listed, your dependents need to prepare a Grant of Probate (GP) or a Letters of Administration (LA) to receive benefits.
Among the life insurances that are normally covered under life insurance in Malaysia are:
| Term Insurance | Provides coverage for a certain period of time or a specified “term” of years (10, 20, 30, 50 years). |
| Whole Life | Provides coverage that lasts your entire life as long as premiums are paid. Usually it will cost more than term insurances. |
| Endowment Insurance | Life insurance policy that provides you both an insurance cover as well as a saving plan. |
| Investment-linked insurance | Life insurance plan that combines both investment and protection. The premium paid does not only provide life insurance coverage where some will be invested in certain investment funds depending on your choice. |
| Medical insurance | Covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. |
| Life Annuity | The insurance company will pay you an annuity for a certain period of time until you die. The common types of annuity plans are immediate annuity (the income payments begin within 12 months after you buy the annuity) and deferred annuity (the income payments begin more than 12 months after you buy the annuity). |
| Mortgage Reducing Term Assurance (MRTA) | An economical option for property loan borrowers. Helps you to pay your outstanding home loan in event of your death or total permanent disability. |
H2 Does life insurance cover suicidal death?
There are exceptions for suicide cases. If the insurer commits suicide within a certain period (usually a year or two) after contributing to the insurance, no payment will be made to the dependent.
H3 What is Medical Insurance?
No one plans to fall ill or get hurt, but a serious illness can strike anyone at any time. Here, health insurance covers medical costs incurred due to an illness. With the rising of medical’s treatment nowadays, these expenses could include hospitalization bills, pharmaceutical prices, or medical consultation fees.
However, not all types of illnesses will be covered by the cost of treatment and medication by the insurer as it depends on the terms and conditions.
In general, there are four main types of medical insurances in Malaysia:
- Hospital & Surgical Insurance: provides coverage for the cost of hospital treatment and the cost of surgery for diseases listed in the policy.
- Critical Illness Insurance: coverage on 36 critical illnesses such as cancer or heart attack
- Disability Insurance: provides financial support in the case of a disability caused by a disease or accident that prohibits the insured from working at their usual job.
Note: However, different insurance companies provide different ranges of coverage, you may have to do a comparison to see which one fits your needs and budget!
H5 Tax Relief
Life Insurance: Individuals who purchase life insurance are eligible for tax relief of up to RM6,000
Medical Insurance: Individuals who get medical insurance can receive tax relief of up to RM3,000.
Here, we can conclude that the main difference between life insurance and health insurance is the benefits offered.
For a life insurance policy, your named dependents will receive the benefits of financial assistance upon your passing. As for health insurance, you will receive financial support if you have any health problems. No matter what type of insurance it is, you need to understand the protection offered by the insurance policy. Best for you to seek further explanations should you have doubts over the policies.
For further information on life and medical insurance plans, you can get and purchase them online at Bjak! Just reach out to our agents and we will assist you to learn more and decide which plans work the best and fit your budget and needs.
