PETALING JAYA: The rising costs of medical procedures could soon face monitoring similar to essential items like rice, sugar and eggs, deputy health minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni stated in the Dewan Rakyat.
The health ministry is exploring measures to address concerns over escalating healthcare costs, including medical charges and insurance premiums.
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“We will monitor within our powers and investigate the claims about rising medical charges and insurance premiums.
If the Domestic Trade and Costs of Living Ministry can monitor the prices of rice, sugar, and eggs, perhaps healthcare charges can be monitored under the authority of Bank Negara or the finance ministry,” he said in response to a question from Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang) on Thursday.
Acknowledging the limitations of public healthcare to meet demand, he urged private hospitals to play their part in offering affordable services.
“Private hospitals must assist at a reasonable cost,” he stated.
To address concerns about excessive fees at private hospitals, the ministry is collaborating with the finance ministry to roll out a nationwide Diagnostic Related Group (DRG) fee-charging system.
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Under this system, patients would be charged based on the severity and category of their diagnosis, rather than itemising every procedure or medicine.
This approach aims to protect patients, particularly those from the M40 and B40 income groups, from exorbitant charges while seeking care at private facilities.
While rising private healthcare costs and insurance premiums have raised fears of more patients overwhelming public hospitals, Lukanisman clarified that referral data from 2019 to 2022 does not indicate a significant increase.
“In 2019, we recorded 1,602 patients referred from private hospitals to Health Ministry facilities, compared to 1,604 in 2022. This indicates no substantial rise,” he said..
Government backbenchers have urged the health ministry to take action on escalating health insurance premiums and private healthcare costs.
