Malaysia’s government has commended the insurance sector’s move to extend coverage to mental illnesses.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said that several insurers have started extending their health insurance products to cover mental health conditions, and he hopes that other companies will follow suit.

“We are happy that insurance companies have taken our suggestions to include the illnesses as an insurable condition,” Lee was quoted as saying by The Star at a press conference in Taman Botani on Sunday. “Other countries such as Singapore had practised this earlier, and I am glad we are heading in the same direction.”

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“Since there is a wide spectrum of mental illness, we believe they are covering the serious ones that are clearly defined to avoid any disputes in the future,” Lee added.

He pinpointed several conditions, such as major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Tourette’s syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease.

“As the government, we hope to see more similar initiatives and also involvement from the community to help those who are battling with mental illnesses,” he said.