Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad has outlined the government’s plan to widen access to health protection for middle- and lower-income Malaysians, revealing that a new insurance scheme called MediAsas will pilot in the Klang Valley by the end of this month.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat on 14 JULY, Dzulkefly said the MediAsas Plan targets the M40 group, who currently lack affordable private healthcare coverage. According to Bernama, he was responding to a question from Datuk Abdul Khalib Abdullah (BN-Rompin) on measures to address private healthcare inflation.
“The MediAsas Plan was introduced to complement the existing coverage with the aim of expanding coverage and options for the M40 group,” Dzulkefly told Parliament. He stressed that the scheme does not replace the public healthcare system, which continues to provide Universal Health Coverage for all Malaysians through tax revenue.
MediAsas sits under the RESET framework, a broader reform strategy aimed at improving affordability, accessibility, transparency and sustainability in Malaysia’s private healthcare system. The framework also covers the interoperability of electronic medical records to reduce duplicate tests and scans, as well as the restructuring of private hospital bills.
The plan will initially be offered by six insurance and takaful companies during a pilot phase in the Klang Valley. A nationwide rollout is scheduled for January 2027. As reported by The Star, the scheme comprises two products: MediAsas Teras, a standard plan, and MediAsas Fleksi, a standard-plus option.
Coverage will be available for individuals up to 85 years of age. The plan will gradually integrate the Diagnosis Related Group (DRG)-based payment mechanism at private hospitals, a cost-containment measure designed to keep healthcare charges more predictable.
MediAsas is jointly overseen by the Joint Ministerial Committee on Private Healthcare Costs (JBMKKS), co-chaired by Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan and Dzulkefly. An independent governance board will be established to provide ongoing oversight and protect consumer interests.
Meanwhile, the B40 group remains protected through a network of 154 hospitals and over 3,000 public healthcare facilities, supplemented by existing schemes including PeKa B40, the MADANI Healthcare Scheme and MySalam.
Dzulkefly noted that MediAsas specifically addresses issues affecting the M40 bracket, including pre-existing conditions, non-communicable diseases and mental health challenges — areas where current coverage options fall short.
