KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — A total of 1,094 claims under the National Health Insurance Scheme, mySalam, was received since Jan 1 this year until last April 4, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah said 97 of the claims, involving payments totalling RM40,200, had been disbursed to the recipients under the scheme.

"This involves admission to hospital and claims for critical illnesses,” he said in response to a question from Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim (GPS-Batang Lupar).

He said 3.8 million people from the B40 are eligible for the scheme.

Rohani wanted to know the number of people from the b40 group who had joined the scheme.

To a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed (PH-Jeli) whether the government planned to continue with mySalam,  Amiruddin said the scheme would be carried out for five years.

"The first phase of the scheme is for five years, and if it is proven capable of reducing the burden of the B40 group, the government will study whether or not to continue with it,” he added.

The scheme provides a one-off payment of RM8,000 to participants who are diagnosed with any one of the 36 critical diseases, including cancer and heart ailment.

The scheme also gives out a daily payment of RM50 as replacement income, for a maximum of 14 days, or RM700 a year, to those receiving treatment at any government hospitals. — Bernama