KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — The Finance Ministry announced today a free national health scheme for the country’s bottom 40 percentile (B40) wage earners from January 1, 2019.

The B40 National Protection Scheme also offers medical insurance and takaful protection for qualified recipients from 36 critical illnesses, with payments up to RM8,000. 

"The Scheme also gives daily payments as income replacement in the event of hospitalisation for up to 14 days at RM50 per day or RM700 per year,” Minister Lim Guan Eng said in a statement.

“Coverage under the Scheme commences 1 January 2019, and the Scheme’s registration and customer support services will be in operation from 1 March 2019,” he added.

Lim said the initial fund size is RM2 billion and is expected to cover 4.1 million people in the B40 income bracket aged between 18 and 55 for five years.

Applicants can register for the scheme online without having to undergo medical examination as a qualification check. Those successful will be notified through SMS.

Lim said the government will disclose further information on how the scheme will work when it is officially launched early next year.

“This Scheme, the first of its kind in Malaysia, is guided by the Pakatan Harapan Election Manifesto to improve access to much-needed health services, lighten the cost of living burden, and improve the rakyat’s wellbeing,” he said.