Policyholders Will Be Rewarded For Managing Their Diabetes Condition Effectively

Kuala Lumpur, 12 April 2019 – MSIG Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd “(MSIG Malaysia)” has launched a dedicated insurance for the growing number of Malaysians diagnosed with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. MSIG Gluco SafeGuard recognises that millions of Malaysians with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes have difficulty obtaining proper health insurance coverage, with the majority of traditional health insurance policies excluding pre-existing medical conditions (medical conditions identified before purchasing the insurance).

Gluco SafeGuard insurance provides comprehensive coverage for the wide variety of illnesses and treatments that normal health insurance plans do, but with additional protection and assurance for diabetic patients.

Gluco SafeGuard has been specifically designed to provide greater peace of mind to diabetic patients, who may face additional uncertainties, costs, and claims complications when utilising normal health insurance policies, particularly if diabetes ends up being a factor in their illness and treatment.

Another key feature of MSIG’s Gluco SafeGuard insurance is that it is innovatively packaged with complimentary premium access to a dedicated Diabetes Management App (Health2Sync) that can help policyholders monitor and manage their diabetes effectively.

Premium access to the Health2Sync app, will enable policyholders to self-monitor by conducting their blood glucose and haemoglobin tests in a timely and regular manner. It will also provide lifestyle and dietary recommendations to help policyholders achieve a healthier blood sugar level. Policyholders who dutifully and consistently perform their tests and record the results in the App itself can enjoy a premium reduction of up to 40% upon their next policy renewal, subject to eligibility and underwriting criteria.

The provision of the App promotes self-disciplined health management, which differentiates Gluco Safeguard from some other diabetes-related insurance offerings that rely only on one-off tests in advance of policy renewal. Gluco SafeGuard rewards policyholders who sustain a healthy lifestyle on a consistent basis and not merely for a short period of time. Another key difference of MSIG’s product is there is no co-insurance (a health care cost-sharing between an insured person and the insurance company) expected of the policyholder for admission into hospitals.

Malaysia has the highest rate of Diabetes in Asia and one of the highest in the world. According to figures released by The International Diabetes Federation (IDF), there are currently (2019) about 3.6 million adults with diagnosed diabetes in Malaysia, an increase from 3.5 million in 2017. In addition, the diagnosis of diabetes in people between the age of 18 and 35 has increased by 300% in the last 15 years, according to a statement by the Health Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad, 27 March 2019, The Malaysian Reserve.

Mr. Chua Seck Guan, Chief Executive Officer, said “Diabetes is clearly a large problem in Malaysia, which is why we have chosen to launch this innovative ‘Gluco SafeGuard’ product which is specifically designed for people with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Our objective was to not only give customers the peace of mind that they can handle the increased financial consequences of the condition, but also provide a tool to help them understand and manage the condition in an effective way.”

Mr. Chua continued, “At MSIG we pride ourselves on ‘seeing the heart in everything’ and as such we felt a responsibility to encourage and reward our customers to make choices to minimise the impact of the condition and enjoy a better overall quality of life for themselves and their families. This is why we are providing complimentary premium membership use of the Health2Sync App as part of the ‘Gluco SafeGuard’ policy, along with rewards to encourage its use. We hope that this approach will not only benefit our customers directly, but also play a small part in helping the country tackle the diabetes epidemic.”