Advanced Medical Treatments covered under the Great Eastern Medical Card
Note: The following list of advanced medical treatments is non-exhaustive and is subject to periodic revision by Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad.
| No. | Advance Medical Treatment | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BRACHYTHERAPY | Brachytherapy is a type of internal radiation therapy which includes interstitial radiation, intra-cavitary radiation, and high-dose rate or low-dose rate radiation. A sealed radiation source in the form of seeds, ribbons or capsules will be placed in the body, inside or next to the tumour area, through a catheter or applicator. Brachytherapy is often used to treat cancers of the head and neck, eye, breast, cervix and prostate. |
| 2 | CRYOABLATION | Also known as cryosurgery. It is a form of minimally invasive treatment done using a hollow needle called cryoprobe, liquid nitrogen or argon gas under imaging guidance for individuals with localised cancer or as salvage therapy for recurrent cancer following failure of radiation therapy. Cryoablation freezes the diseased tissue and destroys the cells of the treated area. It is used to treat tumours of the skin, bone, liver, kidney, cervix and arrhythmia. |
| 3 | GAMMA KNIFE | Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a non-invasive radiation therapy for brain tumours that allows most of the patient’s healthy brain tissue to be reserved. It is a specific form of radiation therapy that focuses intense beams of gamma rays with pinpoint precision to treat brain lesions. Usually, only sedation or local anaesthesia is needed for this treatment. Patients do not have to go under the knife and its outcome is similar to that of a surgical procedure. |
| 4 | HORMONE THERAPY FOR CANCER | Hormone therapy, also known as hormonal or endocrine therapy, is a cancer treatment that slows or stops the growth of cancer (e.g. prostate and breast cancers that are hormone-receptor-positive). It is often used before surgery (neoadjuvant) to shrink the tumour size, or after surgery (adjuvant) to reduce recurrence risk. Hormone therapy works by either lowering the hormone level in the body, or blocking the hormonal action on the cancer cells. |
| 5 | IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR CANCER | Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that stimulates or suppresses the patient’s natural immune system to fight cancer, and certain infectious or autoimmune disorders. Types of immunotherapy include cytokines, cancer vaccines, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), and monoclonal antibodies. |
| 6 | INTENSITY MODULATED RADIOTHERAPY (IMRT) | IMRT is used to treat cancers. The goal of the treatment is to target the radiation so that nearby healthy tissue is not harmed. The radiation beams are carefully customised to match the size of the tumour, where they can move in an arc with the intensity of each beam varied. The result is a previsely controlled treatment that delivers the appropriate radiation dose as safely and efficiently as possible. |
| 7 | NEUTRON BEAM RADIATION THERAPY (NBRT) | NRBT is a form of external beam radiation therapy (ERBT) used in inoperable tumours or tumours that are resistant to conventional radiation therapy. It involves a sophisticated stereotactic method in which high energy neutrons (neutral charge subatomic particles) are exerted to accurately target the diseased tissue mass localised using computed tomography (CT). Often used in salivary gland cancers, soft tissue sarcoma and prostate cancers. |
| 8 | PROTON BEAM RADIOTHERAPY (PBRT) | Proton Beam Radiotherapy (PBRT) is a type of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) that utilises protons (positively charged subatomic particles) that are precisely targeted to a specific tissue mass. Coverable for brain tumour, breast cancer, bone cancer, gastrointestinal tumour and prostate cancer. |
| 9 | ROBOTIC PROSTATECTOMY FOR PROSTATE CANCER | Also known as robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. This laparoscopic surgery is performed using the robotic approach which can only be controlled by experienced surgeons to remove prostate and nearby diseased tissues with more precision through small abdominal incisions. It is less invasive than conventional prostatectomy. |
| 10 | STEM CELLS FOR HEMATOPOIETIC CELLTRANSPLANT FOR HAEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES | Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) refers to intravenous infusion of healthy hematopoietic progenitor cells either autologous (stem cells from the same person going for transplant) or allogeneic (stem cells from a compatible donor other than the patient), harvested from bone marrow or peripheral blood to replace aberrant or dysfunctional cells in a patient. Examples of hematologic or blood cancers are leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. |
| 11 | TARGETED THERAPY FOR CANCER | Targeted therapy is a type of cancer treatment that targets proteins that control how cancer cells grow, divide and spread. It interferes with specific proteins that help tumours grow and spread throughout the body. Types of targeted therapy include small-molecule drugs and monoclonal antibodies. |
| 12 | DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION (DBS) | DBS uses a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device called a neuro stimulator and electrodes to deliver electrical stimulation to targeted areas in the brain that control movement and block abnormal nerve signals that cause tremors and other Parkinson’s Disease symptoms. |
| 13 | JOINTREP (CARTILAGE SCAFFOLD FOR KNEE)JOINTREP | JointRep is a cartilage regeneration technology that uses an injectable biopolymer hydrogel implant, in combination with microfracture surgery, to provide a minimally invasive restorative treatment for traumatic or arthrosis cartilage defects of severe grades, for reducing joint pain and improving joint functions. |
| 14 | VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION (VNS) | VNS is a form of neuromodulative adjunct treatment that alters nerves activity, indicated in patients 4 years of age and older with epilepsy who are resistant to conservative medical therapy. VNS is also used adjunctively in stroke rehabilitation, that aids in restoring motor function in patients who suffered from ischemic stroke. VNS involves surgically implanted, battery-powered medical device which comprises a vagus nerve stimulator (pulse generator) and a lead wire (insulated wire) with electrodes at the end of the wire. After sedation, the battery-operated stimulator will be implanted in the upper left chest with one end of the lead wire attached to the stimulator and another end threaded up to coil around the vagus nerve, that receives electrical impulsesgenerated by the stimulator. |
Information updated as on December 2023
Disclaimer
Note: The list of advanced treatments above is non-exhaustive and subject to periodic revision by Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad (GELM)
• The coverage is subject to policy benefits with terms and conditions applied, given the medical condition is not pre-existing/non-disclosure/does not fall under policy exclusion
• GELM medical plans cover the above treatment procedures and drugs that have been approved by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Malaysia and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States. Any treatment or drug which is still under clinical research or trial will NOT be covered, and any external implantable prosthetic devices/appliances not limited to the above treatments will NOT be covered as per policy exclusion.
• The advanced treatments listed above will be covered under GELM medical plans only if they are deemed medically necessary and are justified by the treating physician to be the most optimal treatment in patient’s best interest, subject to the terms and conditions as per outlined in the policy contract
For enquiries, please call Healthcare Service Careline at 1300–1 300 18 or email: healthcareservices@greateasternlife.com
PROTECTION BY PIDM ON BENEFITS PAYABLE FROM THE UNIT PORTION OF THIS POLICY/PRODUCT IS SUBJECT TO LIMITATIONS. Please refer to PIDM’s TIPS Brochure or contact Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad or PIDM (visit www.pidm.gov.my).