Stricter rules for dialysis aid: Patients must meet criteria to qualify, says Socso

PETALING JAYA: The Social Security Organisation (Socso) has tightened its guidelines for subsidised dialysis treatment.

This was done to ensure that the recipient of dialysis aid met the minimum qualifying criteria of contributions to Socso.

Socso deputy chief executive (operations) John Riba Marin explained the issue following an objection from MTUC over Socso’s latest condition to link the dialysis aid with the recipient’s quantum of contributions.

According to a circular sighted by The Star, there are two criteria for the aid.

The insured worker is someone who suffers from a disease that required dialysis with the invalidity notice given to Socso before he turns 60.

He must have made at least 24 months of contributions within a 40-month period to qualify for the aid among others.

This directive applies to new applicants and not to those who have been receiving it.

In a statement on Friday, MTUC voiced its concern over the revised requirement, claiming the decision was “cruel” as it affected the destitute and often poorest of workers.

It said that contributors under the Invalidity Grant scheme are those who could not afford to remit monthly contributions to Socso regularly.

Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy chief executive Azrul Mohd Khalib said this was particularly harsh as it would potentially deprive newly-employed individuals of the benefits of subsidised dialysis treatment.

It added that in this economic climate, not everyone was fortunate enough to continuously hold down a job.

“In comparison, private health insurance has a waiting period of up to three months before a person can submit claims," it said.

“Socso is asking for two years of contributions before you are eligible,” said Azrul.

Yesterday, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong questioned if the move was discussed by the Cabinet before the Socso board made its decision.

“Why is it that Socso could bear the costs all this while but under Malaysia Baru, it has to be revised?” he asked.

He said that the cost for treatment was very high and could set back those getting treatment up to RM4,000 monthly.

“What happened to the fight for the workers’ plight?” he asked.

John said the hemodialysis aid is a benevolent facility provided to Socso contributors who suffer from end stage renal failure that was first introduced in 1999.

“Although the organisation is not legally bound to provide such facility, the aid was continuously provided in view of the need of contributors requiring dialysis, ” he said.He said that Socso had extended the facility by also covering for erythropoietin injections, immunosuppressant for kidney transplant recipients, different modalities of peritoneal dialysis and annual donations of dialysis machines.

The dialysis aid is available to all eligible contributors throughout the country, with Socso covering nearly 18,000 patients this year and would continue to receive applications by contributors who required such aid, he said.

“It must therefore be realised that the benefits provided by the organisation are paid for by the social security fund contributed diligently by all employees in the country.

In 2016, Socso said that it had spent RM164mil on dialysis assistance for 12,068 members with end-stage renal failure the previous year.