Key takeaways
- PeKa B40 is being rebranded as PeKa Sihat after a Cabinet decision announced on 16 October 2026, and MOH's 2027 estimates keep RM80 million for it, so both names mean one scheme.
- You qualify automatically if you are a Malaysian STR recipient or registered spouse aged 40 or above: no registration, no fee, and you check with your 12-digit MyKad number.
- The free screening needs only your MyKad and no fasting, and takes two clinic visits: one for the check and samples, one for your results and any referral.
- ProtectHealth's FAQ, updated 29 October 2026, says each person can be screened only once while funds last, so ask the clinic to check your record if you did it before.
- After screening you can get medical devices up to RM20,000, a RM1,000 cancer incentive and transport money up to RM500 in Peninsular Malaysia, all through Ministry of Health hospitals only.
- PeKa Sihat does not pay for treatment, medicine or private hospital bills, so in Malaysia it finds problems early but does not replace a medical card.
What is PeKa B40, and why is it now called PeKa Sihat?
PeKa stands for Skim Peduli Kesihatan. The Ministry of Health (MOH) introduced it in April 2019 for lower-income Malaysians, with a focus on non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. ProtectHealth Corporation, a company set up under MOH, runs it.
On 16 October 2026, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the Cabinet had agreed to changes and that the scheme will be rebranded as PeKa Sihat, partly to ease congestion at public health clinics by using participating clinics. He said MOH would announce further details. I could not find those details published as of 3 November 2026.
So you will see both names at once. ProtectHealth's website says PeKa Sihat, while its eligibility checker and clinic list still say PeKa B40, and so does MOH's 2027 expenditure estimate, which lists RM80 million for the scheme, the same as 2026. They are one scheme with one set of four benefits:
| Benefit | What you get | Limit | Who applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Health screening | Free check-up with blood and urine tests at a listed clinic | Free, once per person | You: walk in with your MyKad |
| 2. Medical device aid | Devices needed for treatment and not subsidised in MOH hospitals | Up to RM20,000 per person | Your MOH doctor, through the hospital's Medical Social Work Department |
| 3. Cancer treatment incentive | Cash to encourage you to complete treatment at an MOH hospital | RM1,000: RM300, then RM700 | Your treating doctor or specialist |
| 4. Transport incentive | Part of your travel cost for benefit 2 or 3 treatment | Up to RM500 in Peninsular Malaysia, RM1,000 in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, per illness | Medical social worker or treating doctor |
Benefit 1 is the gateway: you must complete the screening before benefits 2, 3 and 4 can be approved.
Who qualifies for PeKa B40, and how do I do the semakan?
The rule is short. ProtectHealth's FAQ says you qualify if you are an STR recipient or the recipient's registered spouse, and you are 40 or above. It is automatic, so there is nothing to register for. Here is how that works in real family situations:
| Your situation | What to expect |
|---|---|
| STR recipient, aged 40 or above | Eligible automatically |
| Registered spouse of an STR recipient, aged 40 or above | Eligible automatically. Check with the spouse's own MyKad, because each person's age counts |
| Aged under 40 | Not yet. The scheme starts at 40 |
| Your parents, or your adult children | Not through you. Each must be an STR recipient or registered spouse in their own right, and aged 40 or above |
| Single, aged 40 to 59 | Check before you go. The STR 2026 leaflet lists singles aged 21 to 59 under SARA rather than STR cash, so do not assume |
| Spouse who is not a Malaysian citizen | The STR form allows a non-citizen spouse, but PeKa Sihat is offered to Malaysian citizens. Ask ProtectHealth first |
| Household income above the STR limit | Not eligible, because the scheme follows STR. See the options further down this guide |
How to check, step by step:
- Open the official PeKa B40 checker. It can be switched to English, Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese or Tamil.
- Enter the 12-digit MyKad number without dashes, then answer the short security question.
- Read the result. It is stated for the current year, for example "not eligible for PeKa B40 in 2026 because you are not a Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recipient".
Searching for "PeKa B40 login"? You do not need an account. The Login button on the clinic list site is for clinics, not for patients. Anyone who asks you to pay to register is not following the scheme: all PeKa Sihat benefits are free.
If the checker says you are not an STR recipient, that is the part to fix. STR 2027 applications have been open all year since 15 October 2026 on the official portal. Under the STR 2026 leaflet, the household category is for Malaysians living and working in Malaysia, with gross household income of RM5,000 a month or below. The same RM5,000 limit applies to senior citizens aged 60 and above with no spouse. The portal also warns that anyone who has not updated their application for three years in a row must update it for 2027. STR questions go to the hotline on that portal: 1800-88-2747, or 03-8882 4565 for the Ministry of Finance, 9am to 5pm.
How do I get the free PeKa B40 health screening, and what is checked?
- Find a clinic. Use the official clinic list, which you can filter by state, including Selangor and W.P. Kuala Lumpur. It showed 5,579 entries when I checked on 3 November 2026. Private clinics display a PeKa sticker at the door, and most government health clinics with a doctor on duty also do the screening.
- Bring only your MyKad. No earlier registration, no payment and no fasting.
- First visit. The doctor takes your history and examines you, and blood and urine samples go to a laboratory.
- Second visit. The clinic gives you a date, or contacts you by phone, SMS or WhatsApp. The doctor explains your results.
- Follow-up. If you need treatment or more tests, the clinic gives you a PeKa referral letter to the nearest Klinik Kesihatan or MOH hospital.
What is checked (ProtectHealth's published list):
- Your medical and family history, including risk factors
- Mental health screening
- Physical examination, with a clinical breast examination for women and a clinical prostate examination for men at risk
- Laboratory tests: blood cells, blood sugar control, cholesterol, kidney function and urine
The published list does not mention scans such as X-ray, ultrasound or mammogram, so ask your doctor if you are worried about something specific.
PeKa B40 boleh guna berapa kali? This is where people get confused. The FAQ says the screening can be done only once per eligible person while funds last, and a second attempt at another clinic will not go through. Separately, ProtectHealth's Facebook page encourages people over 40 to screen once a year, which reads as general health advice. I would not assume a second free screening. If you did it years ago, ask the clinic to check your record, or call ProtectHealth on 03-8687 2525 (8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday).
Why it is worth a morning. Of the 328,302 people screened in 2025, about 44.5% had at least one problem they did not know about: a newly found chronic disease, a risk of anxiety or depression, or both. Yet uptake as of 31 August 2026 was only 23.1% in Selangor and 15.0% in Kuala Lumpur, against 45.6% in Kelantan. ProtectHealth also runs community events such as "Malaysia, Jom Check!" on 5 and 6 September 2026, but you do not have to wait for one.
How do the RM20,000 device aid, RM1,000 cancer incentive and transport money work?
You do not apply for these yourself. All three go through Ministry of Health hospitals only, and your doctor or medical social worker starts the application. If you are being treated at an MOH hospital and qualify, tell them you are a PeKa recipient and ask.
Medical device aid: up to RM20,000
- Ten categories: heart stents, artificial joints, hearing aids, pacemakers, spinal prostheses and implants, limb prostheses and orthoses, intraocular lenses for cataract, breathing therapy equipment and oxygen concentrators, nutritional support, and wheelchairs.
- The RM20,000 is not a cash payment. It is given as purchased equipment, and each category has its own price range.
- It is a running balance. If you used part of it for a lens, you can still apply for a pacemaker later, as long as a balance remains.
- Each eligible person has their own RM20,000. It cannot be passed to another family member.
Cancer treatment incentive: RM1,000
- RM300 is paid when the hospital's application is accepted, and RM700 after your doctor confirms you completed the treatment plan. Both go directly to your bank account.
- Traditional and alternative treatment does not count.
- Already on treatment? You can still qualify, but the screening must be done or recorded. Your hospital doctor will advise you how.
- The incentive goes only to living recipients. Heirs cannot claim it.
Transport incentive: up to RM500 or RM1,000
- Only for people receiving benefit 2 or benefit 3, for round trips between home and the MOH hospital on appointment dates.
- The amount depends on distance, up to the limit per illness. It is meant to help, not to cover the whole cost.
- It is paid to your bank account before your next follow-up. If you do not attend, it is not paid.
What does PeKa Sihat not cover, and what else is there?
This is the part that matters most when someone in the family actually falls sick.
- Treatment and medicine. The scheme does not include any treatment or medication cost for now. You can be referred to a Klinik Kesihatan. If you choose treatment at a private clinic, you pay for it.
- Private hospitals. Benefits 2, 3 and 4 are only for treatment at MOH hospitals.
- Family members. Your children and parents do not share your benefits.
- Minor illnesses. Fever or diarrhoea was the job of a separate scheme, Skim Perubatan MADANI. CodeBlue reported on 9 October 2026 that it was abolished because no allocation was listed for 2027, and I found no line for it in MOH's 2027 estimate. ProtectHealth's page still shows the scheme, so ask the clinic before relying on it.
One thing to watch: ProtectHealth's page now has a clinic-facing FAQ for a "PeKa NCD Management Pilot Programme", with one clinic following a patient across a twelve-month cycle. I could not find public details on who qualifies or where it runs. Until MOH announces them, please do not assume your treatment will be free.
How the schemes fit together:
| Scheme | For whom | What it gives | Main gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| PeKa Sihat | STR recipients and registered spouses, 40 and above | Screening, devices up to RM20,000, RM1,000 cancer incentive, transport money | No treatment or medicine; MOH hospitals only |
| mySalam | Linked to STR, up to age 65 | RM8,000 once for 50 listed critical illnesses, plus RM50 a day, up to 14 days or RM700 a year, for overnight stays in government, university and armed forces hospitals | Cash only; no allowance for private hospital stays |
| MediAsas | Voluntary and paid by you, nationwide from January 2027 | Pilot FAQ: Teras annual limit RM100,000 (RM150,000 from age 60), Fleksi RM300,000 | Fully underwritten; 30-day and 120-day waiting periods; pilot terms may change |
| Medical card | Anyone accepted after underwriting | Pays eligible hospital bills within the plan's limits | You pay the premium and must declare your health |
Worked example (an illustration, not a real case). Assumptions: a 52-year-old STR recipient in Puchong, already screened, is diagnosed with a cancer that meets mySalam's critical illness list, spends 14 nights in an MOH hospital ward during the year, completes treatment there, needs no device, and reaches the Peninsular transport limit.
| Item | Maximum |
|---|---|
| PeKa Sihat cancer incentive (RM300 + RM700) | RM1,000 |
| PeKa Sihat transport incentive | RM500 |
| mySalam critical illness, once in a lifetime | RM8,000 |
| mySalam hospital allowance (14 days x RM50) | RM700 |
| Total cash, at most | RM10,200 |
That is real help, and you should claim every ringgit. But if the same person chooses a private hospital, the PeKa benefits and the mySalam hospital allowance fall away. Only the RM8,000 is left to face the bill and the months without income.
Will a PeKa Sihat screening affect my insurance?
Please do not skip a free screening because you are worried about insurance. An illness you have not found is still an illness, and early detection is the whole point of the scheme.
What changes is what you must say on a new application. Using MediAsas as the example, Bank Negara Malaysia's FAQ says it is fully underwritten and applicants must disclose all relevant health information. It defines a pre-existing condition broadly: one you were treated for, were advised to seek care for, had noticeable symptoms of, or reasonably should have been aware of. Where you have one, more medical evidence may be needed, and claims follow the policy terms, including any exclusions.
- Screened and all clear? The same FAQ points out that getting covered while healthy secures cover before future conditions affect your terms. If you were already thinking about cover, this is a sensible time to look at it.
- Something was found? Follow up with the doctor first. Then answer every health question honestly, using your results. It is far better to know the terms upfront than to find out at claim time.
- Already have a medical card? PeKa Sihat is no reason to drop it, because the scheme does not pay hospital bills. If the premium has become hard to carry, talk it through before you cancel anything.
- Not an STR recipient? If you work and contribute to PERKESO, look at its free Health Screening Program on SEHATi, which is for eligible insured persons. Check the conditions there.
What should I do next, and how can I help?
Start with the free steps. Check your MyKad and your spouse's today, find a clinic near you, and set aside half a morning. If your parents are 40 or above and receive STR, help them check too, because they may not know the scheme exists.
PeKa Sihat is free, so you should never pay anyone to arrange it. I am a Great Eastern agent in Seri Kembangan serving Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, and I do not work for ProtectHealth: I cannot see your eligibility, book your screening or approve your benefits. Please do not send me your MyKad number.
What I can do, in Mandarin, English or Cantonese, is help you see the whole picture: what mySalam and PeKa Sihat give you, what your existing policies pay, and where the gap is. You can start with a free policy review, even if your policy was bought elsewhere. And no hard selling: if your budget is tight, I would rather you use these free schemes first than buy a policy you cannot keep paying.
This guide is general information based on public sources as of 3 November 2026. It is not medical advice, and scheme rules may change once the Ministry of Health announces the PeKa Sihat details. Please check with ProtectHealth for your own case.