PeKa B40 Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

  1. What is PeKa B40?
    • Skim Peduli Kesihatan for the B40 group (PeKa B40) is a Government initiative via the Ministry of Health which aims to sustain the healthcare needs of low income groups by focusing on non-communicable diseases (NCD).
    • PeKa B40 is offered to Malaysian citizens in the bottom 40% household income range, also known as the B40 group.
    • Recipients of the Livelihood Assistance (BSH) and their spouses aged 40 and above are automatically eligible for PeKa B40. No special registration is required to join PeKa B40.
  2. Why was PeKa B40 founded?
    • Please refer to this page.
  3. What is the objective of PeKa B40?
    • PeKa B40 aims to improve access to healthcare services, alleviate the cost of living, and enhance the wellbeing of the people. This initiative places special emphasis on non-communicable diseases and focuses on enhancing the cooperation between the public and private sectors, particularly at the level of primary healthcare.
  4. What are the benefits of PeKa B40?
    • Health Screening
    • Medical Equipment Assistance
    • Incentive for Completing Cancer Treatment
    • Transport Cost Initiative
  5. Who can join PeKa B40?
    • Offered to Malaysian citizens in the bottom 40% household income range, known as the B40 group. Criteria for eligibility is as follows:
      • Recipients of BSH (livelihood assistance) and their registered spouses.
      • Aged 40 and above.
  6. How can recipients check their eligibility status for PeKa B40?
    • Recipients of BSH and their spouses aged 40 and above may check their eligibility status  here by typing their MyKad number and a combination of other information.
  7. Will there be any charges imposed on recipients of PeKa B40?
    • No. No charges will be imposed. All benefits of PeKa B40 are given free of charge.
  8. Why does PeKa B40 involve those aged 40 and above only?
    • PeKa B40 began as a pioneer project and is carried out in stages.
    • More members of the B40 group suffer from non-communicable diseases than those in other groups (M40 & T20).
    • Those in the over 40 category also have a greater burden of NCDs. Such diseases amongst this group are also more likely to have not been detected or poorly controlled..
    • It will also be expanded to include other groups, subject to effectiveness of this program and Government funding.
  9. What are the prerequisites to receving Benefits 2, 3, and 4?
    • Patient must be a recipient of BSH (or his/ her spouse) and aged 40 and above.
    • Has undergone Health Screening (Benefit 1); and
    • All applications must be made via MOH hospitals only.
    • For further information, please refer to the Benefits section here.

Benefit 1: Health Screening Assistance

  1. What are the requirements for undergoing the health screening?
    • Simply bring your MyKad along.
    • No early registration required.
    • No charges imposed.
    • No fasting required.
  2. Is the same recipient allowed to undergo more than one (1) screening?
    • No. Screening may only be performed once for eligible recipients, as long as there are sufficient funds.
    • After undergoing screening during the first visit at the clinic, recipients’ information would have been recorded, and blood and urine specimens sent to private laboratories for the required testing.
    • Should a PeKa B40 recipient attend another clinic for a repeat screening, the process will not progress.
  3. Where can recipients undergo screening?
    • Any private clinic that is registered with PeKa B40 and has the PeKa B40 sticker displayed on their front door.
    • The list of Peka B40 clinics may be obtained here.
    • Most Government clinics provided there are doctors on duty.
  4. What are the list of health screenings that will be performed?
    1. Medical checkup:
      • Medical history taking, noting of individual and family illnesses, including risk factors
      • Mental health screening
      • Physical examination
      • Clinical breast examination for female recipients, and clinical prostate examination for male recipients who are at risk
    2. Laboratory tests:
      • Blood cell test
      • Blood sugar control test
      • Cholesterol level test
      • Urine test
      • Kidney function test
    3. Benefit recipients will not be charged for any of the Health Screenings mentioned above.
  5. How are the results of the screening obtained?
    • Recipients who have undergone Health Screening may have already been given a date for their second visit. If that is not the case, the doctor/ clinic will contact the recipient via telephone, short messaging system (SMS) or WhatsApp to arrange an appointment for the second visit.
    • Should further treatment or examination be required, private doctors will refer recipients to the relevant or nearby government clinics (Klinik Kesihatan) or MOH Hospitals. A PeKa B40 referral letter will be issued by the private clinics to be brought to the MOH facilities.

Benefit 2: Medical Equipment Assistance

  1. What is the procedure for applying for medical equipment assistance?
    • Application for Medical Equipment Assistance must be made via the Medical Social Work Department at Ministry of Health hospitals only.
    • The Medical Officer or specialist treating the Peka B40 recipient will make the referral to a Medical Social Work Officer for the application process.
    • The Medical Officer or specialist will also determine what type of medical equipments are required.
  2. Which categories of Medical Equipment Assistance are offered?
    • There are 10 categories of Medical Equipment Assistance offered based on the confirmation by specialists at MOH Hospitals:
      1. Artificial joint equipment
      2. Hearing aid devices
      3. Heart pacemakers
      4. Prostheses and implants for the spine
      5. Prostheses and orthoses for the limb bones
      6. Intraocular lenses
      7. Breathing therapy equipment and oxygen concentrator
      8. Nutritional support assistance
      9. Wheelchairs
    • The maximum Medical Equipment Assistance that can be funded by PeKa B40 is RM20,000. It is also subject to the price range of equipments in each category.
  3. What happens if the cost of medical equipment applied for is less than RM20,000?
    • For as long as PeKa B40 is carried out by the Government, recipients may apply for a variety of medical equipment on the list, provided there is still money left from the RM20,000 allocation. For example, a recipient who has already received intraocular lenses can still apply for a pacemaker at a different time.
  4. Will family members also benefit from the Medical Equipment Assistance?
    • Only BSH Recipients and their spouses who are registered, aged 40 and above are eligible for PeKa B40. Each person is entitled to a maximum of RM20,000 in financial assistance. This sum cannot be extended to other family members.

Benefit 3: Incentive for Completing Cancer Treatment

  1. What is the value of the incentive given?
    • The amount of the incentive is RM1,000, given to encourage patients to complete their curative treatments at MOH Hospitals as recommended by their treating doctors.
    • Benefit 3 does not include traditional or alternative treatments.
    • It will be given in two (2) stages.
      • First stage - RM300, when the application is received from the MOH Hospital according to the correct procedure and will be credited directly into recipients’ accounts in the same manner as the BSH.
      • Peringkat kedua - RM700, once the recipient has completed his or her treatment plan as recommended by the treating doctor. This will also be credited directly into recipients’ accounts.
  2. Who will assist recipients in the process of applying for this incentive?
    • If the PeKa B40 recipient suffers from cancer and is still undergoing treatment, the treating doctor or specialist will make the application on behalf of said recipient.
  3. If I did not complete my last cancer treatment, am I allowed to apply for this incentive?
    • This incentive was developed to encourage cancer patients to complete their treatment. The condition for receiving the second incentive is that the patient must comply with the doctor’s treatment plan and complete it with no misses.
    • The incentive will be given subject to confirmation by the treating doctor or specialist based on their expertise in determining the level of completion of treatment.
    • This incentive will only be given to recipients who are still alive and cannot be claimed by relatives.
  4. If a Peka B40 recipient is undergoing cancer treatment, is he/ she eligible for this benefit?
    • Yes. Recipients of PeKa B40 who are undergoing cancer treatment are eligible for this benefit. However, health screening is still compulsory, and/ or the results must be uploaded to the PeKa B40 database. If the health screening has not yet been done, doctors or specialists from hospitals will counsel patients on how to get it done.

Benefit 4: Transport Cost Incentive

  1. What does the transport cost incentive entail?
    • The transport cost incentive will cover the journey to and from cancer treatment (Benefit 3) as well as treatments involving utilisation/ insertion medical devices (Benefit 2) at MOH Hospitals according to set appointment dates.
  2. What is the value of the transport cost incentive?
    • The value of the incentive depends on the distance from the patient’s residence to the hospital.
    • It is credited into the recipient’s account for each journey to and from the hospital, not exceeding the limit of RM 5000 for Peninsular Malaysia and RM 1000 for Sabah/ Sarawak/ Labuan.
  3. How does one apply for the incentive?
    • For recipients of Benefit 2, i.e. Medical Equipment Assistance, application may be made via Medical Social Work Officers.
    • For recipients of Benefit 3, i.e. Incentive for Completing Cancer Treatment, application may be made via the treating doctor at MOH hospitals.
  4. What happens if a patient does not go to hospital?
    • This incentive is provided to encourage patients to come to hospital to receive and complete their treatment. If a patient does not attend treatment sessions, he or she will not be given the incentive.
  5. Does this incentive cover the cost of the journey to and from the hospital?
    • Yes, this incentive is counted and is given as financial assistance for the return journey, i.e. to and from the hospital, according to set rates and conditions for PeKa B40.
  6. How is the payment for the Transport Cost Incentive made?
    • After the application for Transport Cost Incentive has been made by the Medical Social Work Officer or treating Medical Officer, the system will calculate the amount to be paid based on the distance that has been determined.
    • Payment will be made directly into the account of the patient before the next follow-up treatment.

Private Medical Practitioners

  1. How will private medical practitioners be paid?
    • The payment to private practitioners is made according to Table 7 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, 2006 amendment that is in use nowadays.
    • The private practitioner involved is not required to pay any registration fee.
    • There is no splitting of fees for health screening services performed under PeKa B40.
    • Laboratory tests have been predetermined and will be paid directly to the private laboratory. No payment or sharing of payment occurs between clinics and private laboratories.
    • Interested private practitioners may register to participate in this scheme voluntarily (not mandatory).
  2. How can interested private medical practitioners participate in this scheme?
    • Private practitioners may register online here.