Jamaliah: Increasing benefits may impact number of beneficiaries
A TOTAL of RM17.15mil has been spent on the Iltizam Selangor Sihat (ISS) programme from Jan 1 to June 30 this year.
Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the scheme had an estimated budget of about RM20mil for 2026.
ISS is a state-funded healthcare card scheme for eligible Selangor residents, offering outpatient, hospitalisation and dialysis benefits, with a quota of 100,000 principal recipients this year.
Jamaliah said this in reply to Sallehen Mukhyi (PN-Sabak), who asked about spending under the ISS programme at the Selangor State Assembly at Bangunan Dewan Negeri Selangor in Shah Alam yesterday.
In a supplementary question, Danial Al-Rashid Haron Aminar Rashid (PH-Batu Tiga) asked whether the annual allocation could be increased for larger families.
Jamaliah replied that the funding currently covered hospitalisation of up to RM10,000 annually.
“We can review it, but if we expand the scope further, there will be implications, including possibly having to reduce the number of recipients,” she said.
She added that basic screening was allowed under the ISS, while more comprehensive checks were provided through a separate programme which included mammograms and eye examinations.
Sallehen also wanted to know whether payments to panel clinics under ISS were being made according to schedule and measures to ensure timely payment.
Jamaliah said there was a stipulated 60 to 90 working-day period for claims payment.
The state, she said monitored the status of claims and payments periodically to ensure they were processed within the timeframe.
In a supplementary question, Sallehen said his office had received complaints from several private clinics that some payments remained outstanding for up to six months.
Jamaliah said the state monitored the matter from time to time and also received feedback from assemblymen.
“So far, all the cases that we received have been resolved.”
She added the state was also strengthening coordination between Selcare Management, the claims administrator and Finance Department to speed up verification, approval and payment.
A communication platform was also being used for continuous follow up on claims and payment issues.
