Bridging Financial Barrier: A Development of Hybrid Takaful Model towards Quality Mental Health Care Services In Malaysia

Khairil Faizal Khairi,Hisham Sabri,Nur Hidayah Laili

doi:10.6007/ijarbss/v10-i10/8278

Abstract

Covering family’s members with family takaful is a necessary act in today’s environment if the financial risks are to be guarded particularly who are facing with mental health illness. This is due to fact that the cost of mental health services has always been a great barrier to accessing care for people with metal health problems and usually required series of consultations by the expert. Mental health illness becomes one of the major illnesses in Malaysia aside from heart disease that lead for seriously attention among takaful operators to include the mental health treatment in their family takaful premiums due to the worrying number of people suffering from mental health illness. Malaysia is still way behind in offering coverage for mental health illness with only AIA Malaysia and Etiqa Malaysia offers such a policy in the current market and there are huge potential in this product. Consequently, the objective of this paper is to propose a hybrid takaful model for mental health disorders in Malaysia particularly among the lower group of income due to the financial barriers. This paper uses a qualitative approach by analyzing the related document and past literature in achieving the current objective. The outcome from this study concluded that mental health takaful is needed in the Malaysia’s market in improving the mental health assessment in the country where the higher level of collaborative effort among the communities as well as governmental and NGOs is mandatory in combating this issue.

Highlights

Mental health is a state of well-being in which a person is able to realize their full potential, cope with the normal difficulties in life, work successfully and productively as well as being able to make a contribution to the community
Since the mental health disorders is a major of loss of productivity and wellbeing for economic development, the need for a more comprehensive outlook of mental health services especially the role of government, takaful operators and responsible authorities in the country is crucial in addressing this issue
One of the important reasons where many people with serious disorders do not receive mental health care is due to financial constraint where the cost of care is higher and lack of health takaful coverage

Summary

Introduction

Mental health is a state of well-being in which a person is able to realize their full potential, cope with the normal difficulties in life, work successfully and productively as well as being able to make a contribution to the community. The public health burden of mental health disorders facing at the difficulty stage because it leads the country into major contributor to the burden of disease and disability. Since the mental health disorders is a major of loss of productivity and wellbeing for economic development, the need for a more comprehensive outlook of mental health services especially the role of government, takaful operators and responsible authorities in the country is crucial in addressing this issue. The rise has been driven by social change, including disruption of family structure, growing youth unemployment, and increasing educational and vocational pressures. These disorders can range from depression, anxiety and autism spectrum disorder to personality and behavioral disorders

Objectives

Findings

Conclusion