The base Malaysia Health Insurance and Takaful plan will enter pilot implementation by end-July, says the Ministry of Finance.
KUALA LUMPUR: The base Malaysia Health Insurance and Takaful (MHIT) plan is expected to enter its pilot implementation phase by the end of July, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
The ministry said in a statement today that the initiative has made encouraging progress under the RESET Strategy, a collaborative effort involving the MOF, the Ministry of Health, Bank Negara Malaysia and key stakeholders to address medical inflation and strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
According to the MOF, several other initiatives are also being carried out in phases, including the use of the Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) system as a payment mechanism for healthcare providers, enhanced price transparency, and measures addressing factors driving medical inflation.
The initiatives also include measures to strengthen data standards and improve dispute resolution mechanisms, the minsitry said.
“All these initiatives reflect the commitment and close collaboration between policymakers, regulators, payers and healthcare providers in making the country’s healthcare sector reform a success,” the statement said.
The statement was issued in response to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on efforts to address rising insurance premiums and private hospital charges.
MOF said the Joint Ministerial Committee on Private Healthcare Costs (JBMKKS), co-chaired by Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, will review and give due consideration to each recommendation by the PAC to strengthen and expedite the implementation of healthcare reform.
The ministry said that PAC recommendations are generally in line with the direction of the RESET Strategy and reinforce the need to accelerate the implementation of the reform agenda.
“JBMKKS and all parties involved remain committed to ensuring that the implementation of the RESET Strategy is on schedule and delivers tangible results for the people.
“The primary objective of this effort is to ensure private healthcare services are more transparent, affordable and sustainable for the benefit of all Malaysians,” the statement said.
Yesterday in the Dewan Rakyat, the PAC presented 17 recommendations to the government to address rising health insurance premiums and private hospital charges, including expediting the implementation of the DRG payment system and amending legislation to enable regulation of private hospital charges beyond doctors’ professional fees.
