Key takeaways
- For a death claim, Great Eastern asks for the claim form, a certified death certificate, certified ICs of the deceased and the claimant, and a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration if the policy has no nomination.
- Under Schedule 10 of the Financial Services Act 2013, a life claim not paid within 60 days of notification earns compound interest at the average 12-month fixed deposit rate plus 1%.
- Families can check free on the Semak Kasih portal by LIAM and MTA whether a late relative had life insurance or family takaful, with 3 searches a day and the JPN death certificate.
- Medical bills are reimbursed only once in Malaysia: the unpaid balance can go to a second policy with the first insurer's settlement details and the original bills.
- Great Eastern's TPD, cancer and death claim doctor's statements say the doctor's report fee is borne by the claimant.
- Notice deadlines differ by policy, such as 30 days for one medical plan and 90 days for one Great Eastern life policy, so notify the insurer in writing first and send reports later.
Which claim are you making: death, TPD, critical illness, accident or hospital cash?
One life policy can carry several benefits, and each is claimed with its own form and evidence. The basic plan usually pays on death or total and permanent disability (TPD). A critical illness (CI) benefit or rider pays a lump sum on diagnosis. An accident rider or a personal accident (PA) policy pays for accidental death, injury and accident medical bills. A hospital income benefit pays a fixed sum for each day in hospital: LIAM's consumer guide describes it as a specified sum paid daily, weekly or monthly, subject to an annual limit.
| Claim | What triggers it | Who submits | How it is paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death | The life assured dies. Suicide within one year of the policy start or reinstatement is excluded. | The nominee, or the executor or administrator if there is no nomination | Lump sum by direct credit to the nominee or the estate |
| TPD | A disability that meets the policy definition, before a set age (the policy anniversary at age 70 next birthday in the Great Eastern product sheets I checked) | The life assured | In Great Early VantageCare 2: 3 annual instalments, the first being the sum assured or RM2,000,000, whichever is less; future premiums are waived |
| Critical illness | A diagnosis that meets the illness definition, after a waiting period of commonly 30 to 60 days | The life assured | Lump sum; an early-stage advance reduces what is paid later |
| Accident | Accidental death or injury. A police report is needed for road accidents and is mandatory for assault or robbery. | The life assured, or the family for accidental death | Fixed sums for death or injury, plus actual medical bills where covered |
| Hospital income | Each day in hospital for a covered condition | The life assured | A fixed amount per day, up to the policy limit |
Before you start, list every policy on the person: riders, group cover from work and anything bought through a bank. One diagnosis or one hospital stay can lead to claims on more than one of them, and families often find a benefit they had forgotten about.
How do I submit a claim, and can I do it myself without an agent?
Yes, you can claim without an agent. Great Eastern takes claims through e-Connect, an online claim form, its branches and by post, and an agent is one channel among several. These are Great Eastern's steps; other insurers ask for similar papers.
- Tell the insurer early. Note the policy number from the policy document or a premium notice. If reports will take time, send written notice first.
- Download the forms from the insurer's claim page: the claimant's statement for that claim type, the doctor's statement, the Letter of Authorisation (3 original copies) and the Direct Credit Form for payment.
- Ask the treating doctor to fill in the doctor's statement. Great Eastern's forms say any fee for this report is borne by the claimant.
- Certify the copies. Great Eastern's life claims checklist accepts certification by its claims or customer service officers, a public notary or lawyer, a Justice of the Peace, a police station chief, a district officer, a medical officer, or an agency group or unit manager. Papers from overseas must be certified by the Malaysian embassy or a public notary in that country.
- Submit. Policy owners use e-Connect (My Claim, Online Claims, Create New Claim). A nominee cannot log in to the deceased's e-Connect, so they use the online claim form on Great Eastern's website or go through the servicing agent. You can also hand documents in at a branch, or post them to Claims Department (Registration), Level 4, Menara Great Eastern, 303 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur.
- Track it. Owners see the status in e-Connect; other claimants can email claims-my@greateasternlife.com. Reply quickly to any request for missing documents.
| Claim | Forms | Supporting documents (certified true copies) |
|---|---|---|
| Death | Death Claim Form (Claimant's Statement); Death Claim Doctor's Statement if the policy is under 5 years old from its start or reinstatement | Death certificate (a burial permit is not accepted), ICs of the deceased and the claimant, marriage or birth certificate to show the relationship, post mortem report if any, Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration if there is no nomination |
| Accidental death (extra) | Accidental Death Benefit Claim Form, completed by the doctor or police | Police report, police investigation report, post mortem and toxicology reports, the deceased's driving licence for a road accident |
| TPD | TPD Claim Form; TPD Doctor's Statement | Employment and termination letters, EPF withdrawal letter, PERKESO (SOCSO) offer letter, its medical board decision and medical report, test results, police report if it followed an accident |
| Critical illness | Living Assurance Claim Form; Confidential Medical Certificate for the illness type (cancer, heart, brain and nerve, other) and any extra questionnaire | IC and the diagnostic reports for that illness, such as the histopathology report for cancer, or cardiac enzyme results and ECG tracings for a heart attack |
| Accident rider | Accident Claim Form (claimant's and attending physician's statements) | Police report, medical certificates, original itemised bills and receipts, CT, MRI or X-ray reports for fractures and similar injuries |
| Hospital income | Hospitalisation and Surgical Claimant's Statement; Attending Physician's Statement | ICs and a certified true copy of the hospital bill (originals only when you also claim reimbursement) |
Since 1 June 2013, Great Eastern has not needed the original policy contract to start a claim, though it may ask for it later. For e-Claims uploads, certified copies are not needed, but keep the originals for at least one year for life claims and seven years for medical claims.
A standalone PA plan whose number starts with P sits with Great Eastern General and has its own claims line (claimscare-my@greateasterngeneral.com, 1300-13-1088). Under Bank Negara's claims settlement rules for general insurers, it must acknowledge your claim in writing within 7 working days, update you within 21 working days if an investigation is still going on, and reimburse within 7 working days of receiving original bills.
A family member has died: how do we find their policies and make the claim?
Start with the death certificate issued by JPN. Every insurer needs it, and Great Eastern says it cannot process a death claim without it; a burial permit is not enough.
Find the policies with Semak Kasih
- Register on Semak Kasih, a free portal run by LIAM and the Malaysian Takaful Association, with your full name, IC number, email and mobile number. You must be a Malaysian citizen aged 18 or above.
- Enter the deceased's IC number and death certificate number, and upload a clear copy of the JPN death certificate (PDF, JPG or PNG, up to 5 MB).
- If there is a match, the portal lists the life insurers or takaful operators to contact. It does not show the sum assured or the nominee, and a match does not mean the claim is payable.
You can run 3 searches a day. The portal covers life insurance and family takaful only, so also check bank statements and card bills for premium deductions, look for policy envelopes and emails, and ask the employer about group cover. Great Eastern says the portal went live on 26 June 2026; its helpline is +603 7456 3960.
Who receives the money
- With a nomination: the insurer pays the nominees according to the nomination once they claim with proof of death. For a non-Muslim policy owner who nominated a spouse or child (or a parent, where there was no spouse or child at the time), the money is held in trust for them and does not form part of the estate or pay its debts.
- Without a nomination: Great Eastern pays the executor or administrator, so the family first needs a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration from the High Court.
- If the nominee does not claim: under Schedule 10 of the Financial Services Act 2013, the insurer must write to the nominee if no claim arrives within 60 days of it learning of the death. If there is still no claim after 12 months, it pays as though there were no nomination.
If the death happened overseas, add the deceased's full passport and either the JPN confirmation letter (burial overseas) or the embarkment certificate (body or ashes brought home). My insurance nomination guide explains trust and executor nominees in detail. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is there a time limit to claim, and how long does payment take?
There is no single deadline for every policy. Each contract has its own notice clause, and the law adds a few rules. These are the ones I check first.
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notice of a medical claim | Written notice within 30 days of a disability that leads to claimable expenses. Late notice does not void the claim if notice on time was not reasonably possible and it was given as soon as it was. | Great Eastern General GREAT Med Care terms; InsuranceInfo |
| Notice of a life claim | Written notice within 90 days of the claim event in one Great Eastern Life policy I checked; other policies differ | Great Eastern EasyProtect terms, clause 5.3 |
| Processing time | About 10 to 14 working days once documents are complete; 7 to 10 working days for death claims submitted online | Great Eastern claim pages and Semak Kasih FAQ |
| Nominee who has not claimed | Insurer writes to the nominee after 60 days; after 12 months it pays as if there were no nomination | FSA 2013, Schedule 10, paragraph 4 |
| Late payment of a life claim | If unpaid 60 days after notification, the insurer adds compound interest at the average 12-month fixed deposit rate plus 1% | FSA 2013, Schedule 10, paragraph 12 |
| Keeping originals | At least 1 year for life e-Claims and 7 years for medical e-Claims | Great Eastern e-Claims FAQ |
Some limits apply before a claim can arise at all. Critical illness cover commonly has a 30 to 60 day waiting period from the start or reinstatement of the policy. Suicide within the first year is excluded from the death benefit. In the first policy year, Great Eastern can void a policy for non-disclosure without having to prove fraud. My advice is simple: notify the insurer in writing as soon as something happens, even if the reports are not ready.
Can I claim from two policies or two insurers for the same event?
It depends on whether the benefit repays a bill or pays a fixed sum.
- Medical bills (reimbursement): you cannot be paid twice for the same bill. LIAM's guide says insurers reimburse only the actual costs incurred, within policy limits. Great Eastern pays a bill another insurer has already settled only for the part that was not fully covered, and asks for the other insurer's settlement details and the original bills for that balance.
- Fixed benefits: death, TPD, critical illness lump sums, accidental death and hospital income do not repay a bill, so each policy is assessed on its own terms and pays its stated benefit if the claim is admitted. Watch for per-life caps: Great Eastern's product sheets cap TPD at RM10,000,000 per life across this and all insurance policies on the same person, excluding group policies.
- Several policies with one insurer: Great Eastern processes other eligible policies on the same claim together; upload a Direct Credit Form for each.
Claim forms ask whether the person has other insurance. Answer fully and list every policy you plan to claim on. My hospital GL guide covers the medical card side of a hospital stay.
Worked example with assumed figures (not a real case, and not a promise of payment): a policyholder spends 5 days in a panel hospital after a heart attack and has three covers.
| Cover (assumed) | What to submit | How the amount is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Medical card with GL, bill of RM28,000 within limits | The hospital requests the GL; you sign the claim forms at discharge | The insurer settles the eligible bill with the hospital; you pay any deductible, co-insurance or items not covered |
| Hospital income of RM100 a day on another policy | Claimant's Statement, Attending Physician's Statement, certified true copy of the hospital bill | 5 days x RM100 = RM500, if admitted |
| Critical illness benefit of RM150,000 on a whole life plan | Living Assurance Claim Form, heart Confidential Medical Certificate, cardiac enzyme results, ECG | RM150,000 lump sum if the diagnosis meets the heart attack definition and the waiting period has passed |
In this example, the bill is settled once, while RM150,500 in fixed benefits is paid to the policyholder if both claims are admitted. Without the list of all three covers, the hospital income and CI claims are easy to miss.
Lost receipts, doctor's report fees and premiums after a claim
I lost the original medical receipt. Can I still claim?
For medical bills, it is difficult. Great Eastern says photocopies of hospital bills and receipts are not accepted for reimbursement, because the policy requires the originals. Ask the hospital what it can issue, and explain the loss to the insurer in writing before you give up. For general insurance such as a standalone PA plan, Bank Negara's rules require the insurer to consider the claim fairly when you give a valid and reasonable explanation for a missing document. Fixed benefits are easier: a hospital income claim needs only a certified true copy of the bill.
Who pays for the doctor's report?
Usually you do. Great Eastern's TPD, cancer and death claim doctor's statements all say the fee for completing them is borne by the claimant, and InsuranceInfo notes that a doctor's administration fee may not be covered by a medical policy. Ask the clinic for the fee upfront and keep the receipt.
After a critical illness or TPD claim, do I still pay premiums?
It depends on what was paid and which riders you have.
- TPD: in Great VantageCare 2 and Great Early VantageCare 2, future premiums are waived on TPD.
- Early-stage critical illness: when only part is paid, such as the 50% early-stage advance in Great Early VantageCare 2, the policy carries on with reduced benefits, so premiums carry on too.
- Premium Waiver on CI rider: waives future premiums when a covered critical illness occurs.
- Investment-linked plans: Great Eastern does not refund excess premiums after a living assurance claim; they go into the fund value.
Keep paying while a claim is being assessed, so the policy does not lapse in the meantime, and ask the insurer in writing what cover remains afterwards.
What should I do next? Let me check what your family can claim
A claim usually comes at a hard time: someone is in hospital, or the family is grieving. I am a Great Eastern agent in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, and I have helped clients with about 110 claims. This is what I can do for you:
- Go through every policy on the person, including policies bought elsewhere, and list which benefits can be claimed: death, TPD, critical illness, accident and hospital cash.
- Give you the exact document list, so the doctor fills in the right form the first time.
- Help you submit and follow up with the insurer until there is a decision.
The insurer makes the decision, and no agent can promise a payout. If a claim is turned down, my guide to rejected claims and FMOS explains the appeal route. If you would like your family's cover checked before anything happens, start with a free policy review. WhatsApp me at 016-914 0086 in Mandarin, English or Cantonese. No hard selling.