Thursday, March 06, 2014

More cost for Private Healthcare



Private Healthcare Facilities and Services (Amendment) Order 2013

Background
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and other medical groups insisted that medical services fees should go up by 30%, to cope with rising living costs. Charges, they claim, have stayed the same for almost three decades. The Minister of Health promised to look into their problems.
Section 106(2) of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, grants the Health Minister the power to amend prices in the 13th Schedule by way of an order published in the gazette, after consulting the ministry’s director-general.

New Regulations
It was reported by Malaysiakini on 4 March, 2014 that the amendment of 13th schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 was published in the federal gazette on Dec 16, 2013, providing for across-the-board increases in fees for medical consultation and procedures (refer to appendix 1) up to 257%. Medical procedures also saw a price hike between 14% and 18%.
Fees by private health providers are regulated by the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998. Those who break the law can be fined up maximum of RM30,000 and face a three-month jail term. They can be fined up to RM2,000 per day for every day the offence continues after conviction.

MMA’s response
The cost of running medical practices varies across the country, including employing general practice staff and operating expenses such as computers, rent, electricity, general insurance and professional insurance among others.
MMA has always encouraged medical practitioners to determine their fees based on their own practice costs and the ability of patients to pay.



Who?
What do they do?
Fees Before Dec 2013
Fees After Dec 2013
% increase
General Practitioners (GPs) at clinics with pharmaceutical services
Consultation, either with examination and/or treatment plan
RM10 to RM35
RM30 to RM125
200% to 257%
GPs at clinics without pharmaceutical services
Consultation, either with examination and/or treatment plan
RM30 to RM125
RM35 to RM145
16% to 17%
Specialist (First visit)
Consultation, either with examination and/or treatment plan
RM60 to RM 180
RM80 to RM235
31% to 33%
Specialist (Follow-up)
Consultation, either with examination and/or treatment plan
RM35 to RM90
RM40 to RM105
14% to 17%
Dentists
Consultation either with examination and/or treatment plan
RM25 to RM250
RM30 to RM285
14% to 20%
Post-extraction bleeding
RM50 to RM300
RM55 to RM345
10% to 15%
Removal of plaque and/or extrinsic stains
RM60 to RM250
RM70 to RM285
14% to 17%
 

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