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 13^th 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%