Check your medical insurance policy and the underwriter

BEWARE of your medical insurance policy!
I have been renewing a family medical insurance (with Sihat Rakyat (SR) / Jerneh Insurance JI) for the last 4 years (annual renewal). I first bought this insurance when I was working as a contract staff with a company where I was introduced by other contractor staff to the agent who was selling the medical insurance. The man introduced himself as an agent of SR and my collegues had expressed satisfaction using the insurance policy. The agent /colleagues told me that SR is an appointed agent of JI and this huge company will take care of my medical needs. I checked with JI to confirm SR is its agent to sell the medical insuarance. I then signed up and later received a medial card cum policy from JI. The logo and name of JI appeared prominantly on the medical card and policy document. I have called JI which confirmed the validity of the policy number on the card and document.
In the past few years, I have used the medical card for my wife and daughter at private hospitals. Each time, Jerneh Insurance guaranteed the payment, and thus I have been very happy with the medical insurance of SR and JI.

Alas, this October 2009, I receievd a letter from JI that upon the expiray of the policy on 01/01/2010, JI shall NO LONGER support (or underwrite ) the same medical policy of its agent SR. I was thus confused, and made inquiry with both JI and SR. The representative at JI replied that its own discretion of underwriting the risk of its agent (in this case, it decided NOT to continue to underwrite the agent's medical policy), while SR said it could not do anything with JI. Then I became more confused as JI has acknowledged SR as its agent to sell its (JI) policy and thus undetaking the risk of JI policy sold by SR, but now by refusing to underwrite, JI had effectively cancelled its own JI medical policy (and been sold by SR) to the public

I am now retired and this is the time when I/my wife require medical coverage. By refusing to continue to underwrite the same medical policy of its agent SR, we cannot get the medical coverage which will impose extra loading (for senior citizens) as well as restriction on existing medcial conditions.

Gall bladder stones - why specialist doctors are so inhuman ?

In late Sept 2009, my wife went to a gastroenterologist at a private hospital in PJ for a scope on the stomach and colon. My wife has been treated for H Pylori by this Gastro man for past months. The last scope indicated no more H Pylori but instead acute esophagus (as explained by this gastro man). At that time, the specialist attributed the cause of this ‘ new discovery’ as too much treatment on the H Pylori. Of course I inquired then which is the devil- H Pylori or the ‘acute esophagus’. He just laughed it off. We left the hospital and I goggled for treatment on acute esophagus. I later bought marshmallow (recommended as a cure for acute esophagus)

This time (late Sept 09), the scope shows colon is clean while there is recurrence of the H Pylori. The gastro man prescribed medicine (antibiotic with other medicine) to treat H Pylori again. I posed the question that in last session where ’ you advised my wife has acute esophagus due to too much treatment. Is this wise to treat the H Pylori?’ The doctor insisted he did not said too much treatment caused acute esophagus, but rather H Pylori caused the acute esophagus. I was really pissed off with this specialist.

This specialist further made a quick remark; we did a ultrasound scan and detected a stone. Right away he recommended us to see another doctor. We had no chance to inquire further. My wife got worried and insisted to see the recommended doctor in the same hospital.

Within 30 minutes, we go to see this specialist, and it turned out that he is a surgeon. He read the report by the radiologist (on the ultrasound scan) on one stone 7mm with irregular wall of gall bladder. The Radiologist termed it as chronic cholecystitis. We said my wife had never complained of any pain in the abdomen where the gall bladder is located (non –symptom stone). This surgeon painted a very bleak picture of no immediate action to remove by surgery (lapro cholecystitis) and my wife got worried.

We left the hospital and googgled on gall bladder stones. Indeed, it is common for human (especially women ) to have non-symptomatic gall bladder stones. The Web does advise actions to remove stones that show symptoms less there are complication to pancreas, livers and bile ducts. The Web also give alternatives such as ‘blasting’ and ‘dissolution’ by medicine.

We finally went to see a family GP for further advise. He perused the blood test to confirm no tests was done to determine concentration of H Pylori (the gastro man only did a biopsy on one poly he clipped during scoping; In previous sessions with this specialist, my wife had to exhale into a bag to determine H Pylori concentration). The GP recommended 3 months session to try ROWACHOL, a medicine which I have googgled previously. We took this option, rather than to remove the gall bladder.
(P.S the gastro man is a very ambitious man- his takes in patient without appointment and clinic daily finished till 7pm; by 5.30 nearly all other specialists would have closed their clinics in this private hospital. NEVER go to see a specialist who worked ‘hard’ to receive many patients)

Too frequent funerals in past 2 months

From July 2009 till Sept 2009, I attended 4 funerals of persons whom I have been very close or known very well. In early July 2009, my 2nd uncle (mother side) passed away due to 'massive cardiac arrest'. He died in the hospital after complaining difficulty of breathing He was 85 years old. One week later, Chow KK, a good friend and a previous director -general of the Malaysian Met Department, passed away in his sleep. He was 63 years old. Then in early Sept 2009, my mother-in-law passed away. She was 83 years old and had been having medical problem. One week thereafter, a brother-in-law(wife's side) passsed away due to cancer of lung. He was 50 years old, and he left behind 3 kids (eldest is Standard 6 and youngest is Standard 1); fortunately the wife works and is relatively successful in sales.
As I step in the late 50s, seem funerals are common , especially with aunties, uncles, relatives reaching the 70-90 years old. Nowadays, when a phone rings, especially at night, I get jumpy and prepared for the worst

Drivers on the North-South Highway beware of this practice

On the 20/09/09 (1st day of 2009 Hari Raya Aidilfitri), I drove from Alor Setar to KL. Somewhere before Tapah, there was this sole motorcylist with his yellow light blinking and he was speeding at 120km/hr catching up on me. I have encountred big-bikers that zoomed at higher speed (and in convoys) and no problem with them passing me in the space between cars. But this motorcyclist (seem like a Vespa -type) insisted on behaving as a 'car' and waved me aside to give way. No problem with that as I'd not want to endanger him. After giving him the way, I then realised there was a car following closely behind this bike; the car did not attempt to overtake. Looked asif a 'private escort' or 'private outrider'.

The highway authority should look out for such practice and put a stop to it, as there could be unpleasant incidents or event accidents by such antics

A 'clash' of 2 events during Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2009

I have all along planned to attend my nephew's wedding in Klang on 1st day Lunar Month August 2009. This'd have been the first wedding of my many nephews.
Unfortunately, my mother-in-law passed away in Alor Setar just 7 days fore the wedding event. We (wife, daughter and I) went to Alor Setar to join the rest of the family for the funeral which went on for 4 days, and on the 5th day of her death, Mother-in-law was cremated in a Thai Wat in Bagan Serai (Kedah) We continued to stay on in Alor Setar, as on the 7th day (the day of my nephew wedding, 1st day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2009), we have to collect her ashes/bones.
On the 7th day, the family went (in a convoy of cars) to Bagan Serai . This was my first experience of seeing the result of a cremation- out came the 'oven bed' on which clearly seen the outline of the remains of human skeleton. The lone worker picked up as many bones and ashes as possible and put them on a tray, the balance was sucked into a vacuum cleaner. The 2 monks then did some chanting after which we (family members) used chop sticks to pick up the small bones that were put inside a vase.
The vase was the wrapped in a yellow cloth and the family brought this vase to another Thai Wat located at the roundabout at Jalan Telok Wanjah. The 'box' of her her vase is beside the father-in-law; may the mather and father -in-law be together again in the 'other side' of the world.

Anyway, regardless whether I could have made it earlier (before the Hari Raya) to KL, I would not be able to attend the wedding of my nephew. By my attendance in the funeral, it is a taboo for me to attend the joyous wedding event of my nephew.

The driving on the 1st Day Hari Raya (20/09/09) was very good, with few cars on the road. There was no accident on North-South Highway from Alor Setar till KL

Another nephew will have his wedding early Jan 2010, and I am looking forward to attend that wedding

DBKL Building Department advised my next step to get my CF

On 07/09/09 I finally managed to call a senior pegawai in Building Department DBKL regarding my present status of not gettiing the registered draughtsman (Hj Jamali Basir, BD/J7, with office in Pandan Indah ) to complete his works on my house renovation works. This draughstman has refused to answer my letter (sent by AR register) requesting him to (i) send me quotation for works to (a) submit a plan on the sanitory, as directed by DBKL Planning Department to the DBKL Building Department, renovation, (b) later works to get the CF by completing Form F, (ii) if he does not wish to continue to be the registered draughtsman for my renovation by doing items (i a) and (i b), then he has to send me a 'discharge letter' to discharge himself from my works - with that letter only does DBKL permits me to engage a new registered draughtsman to complete (i a) and (i b), as advised by pegawai of DBKL on such a by-law. i.e. house owner cannot do such works by themselves.

I have explained the above to the senior Pegawai, and he advised that I then issue my own letter to discharge this draughtsman and send a copy of the letter to DBKL. I have been banging my head with DBKL for such an advise, but none had been forthcoming.
Ok , I shall then doing accoridngly, and see how this goes

Maxis confirmed OUG has poor broadband connectivity

On 24/8, a Maxis technician came to my house in OUG to test the broadband connection which I have been complaining 'bad' since I moved in late July 2009. His test confirmed the poor connectivity (due to Maxis server) and agreed on the intermittent connection which I highlghted to Maxis broadband team (by email). He could not do anything further, except to lodge a report to Maxis on connection status in my area, proposed a rebate to Maxis for my billing and advised me to bring the sim card (inside the broadband) to Mais centre to exchnage for a new card.

On 26/8, I went to Maxis centre at the Garden (Midvalley) to get a new sim card. Testing at that office showed broadband speed reached >2 Mbps- very good. Alas, upon reaching home, same occurrences of frequent breaks in the broadband connection.

On 6/09/09, Maxis rep called me to inform that they had received the technician report. The rep said she would put a remark in the billign that I can terminate my service anytime, without paying a penalty of RM 200 for early termination of the 1 year broadband contract (I signed up in early July 2009 while I was staying in Taman Sri Sentosa where the connectioin was good during the 7 day trial period).
Too bad, I have loved the freedom with broadband, Guess I just have to stick with Streamyx and install a WIFI for home use.