AIA Introduces First-Of-Its-Kind Coverage For Mothers And Children

Kuala Lumpur, 23 June 2017 – AIA Bhd. (AIA) has launched two first-in-market insurance solutions, A-Life Lady360 and A-Life Joy, targeted at mothers and newborns.

A-Life Lady360 allows women to, for the first time, secure coverage for themselves and their baby as soon as they confirm their pregnancy without the need to go through medical underwriting. Meanwhile, A-Life Joy gives parents the option to extend their child’s coverage to include autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – the first benefit of its kind ever offered by an insurance plan in Malaysia.

These plans are also available as Shariah-compliant takaful solutions – A-Life Lady360-i and A-Life Joy-i – which provide the same coverage as the conventional plans.

Eric Chang, AIA’s Chief Marketing Officer said these products were designed to fill an increasing need in the market for mothers who wanted to be insured at the onset of their pregnancy, as well as for benefits covering behavioural disorders such as autism and ADHD.

Explaining the benefits of A-Life Lady360, Chang said: “Until now, many women were unable to secure pre-natal coverage due to complications they experienced during the first trimester of their pregnancy. This plan allows our customers to secure coverage for their baby as soon as they confirm their pregnancy.

“Pregnancy complications are becoming more prevalent these days. Statistics show that on average, 12.3% of 500,000 babies are born prematurely each year in Malaysia[1] while there is an incidence of 2.59 per 1,000 babies in Malaysia being admitted in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for perinatal asphyxia[2]. As such, there is a clear need to ensure that mothers and their babies are protected against unexpected events.

“By enabling women to obtain coverage at the early stages of their pregnancy without the need for medical underwriting, we are essentially giving them the peace of mind that AIA will be there for them at every stage of their life, including their pregnancy. What’s more is that AIA will also be there for their children well into their adult years, thanks to early protection planning,” added Chang.   

While A-Life Lady360 focuses on providing comprehensive coverage to women and mothers, A-Life Joy was designed to provide children with life coverage from the time they are still in the womb, until they are 100 years old. The plan also allows parents to enhance their child’s coverage to include autism and ADHD, among other benefits.

“Having a child diagnosed with autism or ADHD, and in some cases, both, can be daunting for most parents,” said Chang. “We hope that this benefit will give parents access to the treatment their child needs and that they will be encouraged to seek early intervention, which will benefit both the child and the parents.”

Chang continued to say that it is the responsibility of insurers to ensure that the solutions they provide always meet the needs of the market. “Twenty years ago there was little awareness of autism and ADHD. However, as awareness grows and treatments become available, we must provide Malaysians with coverage that grants them access to such treatments. This is in-line with our commitment as The Real Life Company to always create solutions that meet our customers’ ever-evolving needs.”

A-Life Lady360 is a standalone plan designed to fulfil the protection needs of women up to the age of 80. Women who purchase this plan will be eligible to purchase A-Life Joy if they are less than 14 weeks pregnant without having to go through medical underwriting. In addition, this is a comprehensive plan that also provides protection against female cancers, and is also the first plan in Malaysia that covers medical complications that arise due to elective cosmetic surgery.

A-Life Joy is a regular premium Investment-Linked Insurance Plan that is tailored to cover death and Total & Permanent Disability up to age 100. This plan can be purchased while the child is still in the womb. Customers who buy A-Life Joy have the option to add on coverage for autism and ADHD, hospitalisation due to congenital conditions as well as admission into Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), High Dependency Unit (HDU) and phototherapy treatment for jaundice.

In conjunction with the launch of these plans, AIA hosted Facebook Live Clinics with leading medical professionals to give the public a chance to ask questions about their health and that of their children. Pediatrician Dr Anne Yeoh from Sri Kota Specialist Medical Centre, Obstetrics & Gynaecology Specialist Dr Hoo Mei Lin from Tropicana Medical Centre and Dietician Ms Suan Bee Saw from Sunway Medical Centre appeared LIVE on AIA Malaysia’s Facebook over three weeks from 5 June 2017. During the LIVE sessions, they fielded questions from AIA Malaysia’s Facebook community, including expectant mothers and parents with young children.

For more information on A-Life Lady360 and A-Life Joy, please visit:

• https://www.aia.com.my/en/our-products/a-life-joy-lady-360.html
• https://www.aia.com.my/en/our-products/life-protection/a-life-joy.html

[1] Health Facts 2016. (2016), Ministry of Health Malaysia. MOH/S/RAN/17.16 (AR).

[2] N.Y. Boo & I.G. Cheah (2016). The burden of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy in Malaysian neonatal intensive care units, Singapore Medical Journal 57(8):456-463