It is suffice to say that many of us participate in Takaful medical plans for its benefits of protection in the form of medical coverage. This helps to assure us we are able to have access to necessary healthcare without having to eat into our personal savings. Once you have participated in a medical plan, you would be made aware of the panel hospitals, and even preferred hospitals covered by your Takaful operator. You will have noticed that the list does not cover every single hospital you know. Why not? Well, let’s have a look at what panel hospitals are first.

What are panel hospitals?

Panel hospitals refer to hospitals which your Takaful operator have partnered with to service individuals under their medical plans. What are the benefits of panel hospitals?

Having this form of partnership between Takaful operators and hospitals enables participants to have a smoother and far efficient admission and claiming process, than if participants were to visit non-panel hospitals. Being hospitalised under a non-panel hospital means you would have to pay your bill first, before having your fee reimbursed by your Takaful operator upon claim request. In essence, seeking treatment at panel hospitals creates a more seamless experience for participants.

What are preferred hospitals?

As mentioned in the beginning, there also are preferred hospitals. They are panel hospitals that have established exclusive partnerships with a Takaful operator to offer additional benefits to participants regarding their hospital admissions. These hospitals are also selected for their delivery of quality and cost effective healthcare as well as services. That means participants get to enjoy additional services on top of the experience they get with panel hospitals.

Additional services provided by such preferred hospitals could include the following.

• Waiver for COVID-19 screening test
  COVID-19 screening tests have been made mandatory by all Hospitals for surgical, medical and daycare procedures, whereby the service itself may cost up to RM270. Due to this, preferred hospitals may offer a waiver for the COVID-19 screening test.

• Waiver for cash deposit upon admission
  The cash deposit, which is usually charged upon admission, can also be waived to facilitate a smooth admission. There will, however, be cases when a deposit would be collected. The first case would be if the participant is to settle an amount not covered by the guarantee letter at discharge, due to co-Takaful and/or non-medical related expenses. Another exception would be if the medical expenses exceed the participant’s certificate coverage limit. Lastly, the cash deposit will not be waived if the guarantee letter has been declined.

• Waiver for administrative charges
  With visits to the hospital, you may find that there are administrative charges. Such charges include admission fee, hospital fee (or visit fee), medical record fee and ID band. With preferred hospitals, those charges can be waived which helps to save you cost.

• Discharge without final guarantee letter with minimal deposit
  At preferred hospitals, participants are also able to be discharged without needing to wait for the final guarantee letter to be issued by the Takaful operator – instead, you can be discharged with a minimal deposit. This deposit would be determined by the hospital which would estimate the non-covered amount, and you may request for a refund by the hospital during follow-up visits. What a way to shorten your discharge waiting time!

• Additional value-added services upon admission
  When being admitted to the hospital, especially unexpectedly, a little goes a long way in boosting your mood. Besides having loved ones visit, some preferred hospitals would provide a complimentary fruit basket/platter, complimentary admission gift, complimentary merchandise, and/or companion meal vouchers. This would definitely help in making your hospital stay more comfortable.

Ultimately, preferred hospitals would be committed to offering the best professional healthcare and services, at reasonable rates. This enables participants like yourself added value in seeking treatment at a hospital.

In this day and age, rising medical costs are a worry; but with recognising benefits of panel and preferred hospitals, you will be able to enjoy savings in the long-run. If you happen to be learning about this for the first time, now’s the best time to take note of the panel and preferred hospitals under your Takaful plan, especially the ones located around you. This would ensure you get a seamless experience at the hospital, from admission to discharge, for you to focus on the road of recovery ahead!

Though panel hospitals are common, not all Takaful operators work with preferred hospitals. However, you would be able to enjoy the abovementioned exclusive perks when participating in GETB’s medical plans.