Materia Medica Malaysiana

Health card firm ordered to pay up

From The Star Online

MALACCA: The Consumer Claims Tribunal has ordered a health card promoter to reimburse its 30 cardholders seeking medical claims.

Tribunal presidents Noor Azian Shaari and Eddie Yeo – who listened to the cases separately – made the decision in default against NHP Health Club (formerly Samlid Global Network), whose representatives failed to turn up.

The highest claim was for RM9,312.90 and the lowest RM120.

The tribunal handled 48 cases yesterday, 41 of them from the cardholders.

Noor Azian said that of the 41 cardholders' cases, eight were struck off as the complainants did not turn up or failed to produce their membership cards or medical bills.

At an earlier sitting on May 12, the tribunal had ordered NHP to reimburse 39 other cardholders' medical claims when no company representatives turned up.

Malacca Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Department deputy director Teo Sean Chang said the department would consult the Public Prosecutor to press criminal charges against the company for failing to comply with the tribunal’s orders to pay.

Under Section 117 of the Consumers Protection Act, offenders are liable to a maximum fine of RM5,000 or two years' jail, or both, for failing to comply with the tribunal's orders.

For each continuing offence, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence is continued after conviction.

Noor Azian urged claimants to inform the tribunal if they were not reimbursed.