Even as consternation grows over the revised medical fee schedule in the private healthcare sector, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said this is long overdue as the fees have not been increased for 12 years.
"There has been virtually no increase though the fee schedule is supposed to be revised every five years. The last review was in 2002, 12 years ago," MMA president Dr NKS Tharmaseelan toldMalaysiakini.
Tharmaseelan said the approved average hike of 14.5 percent for medical fees still lags behind the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
"Though we accept the fees imposed purely as doctors who put service before themselves according to the Hippocratic Oath, the increase does not commensurate with the increase in the cumulative (CPI), nor does it reflect inflation since 2002,” he said.
"However, it is sad that despite prices going up all around, the medical profession is the only profession, including the blue-collar and white-collar hob holders, to have their fees pegged below the (CPI).”
Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that the 13th Schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, which regulates fees in the private healthcare sector, had been amended to raise fees for medical consultation and procedures.
This has raised the range cap for consultation fees from between RM10 and RM35 to RM30 and RM125 for general practitioners and from between RM30 and RM125 to RM80 and RM235 for specialist doctors.
Fees for medical procedures have also been increased by between 14 and 18 percent.
Tharmaseelan (right) said there is a misconception that doctors are raking in money, saying they are already scraping the bottom of the barrel.
"More than 500 individual stand-alone general practitioner clinics have closed down or have been bought over by large chain-clinics or business corporations," he said.
Commenting on the fee hike, Tharmaseelan said a flexible range is necessary as fees should vary according to the disease, complexity, surgeon's experience and risks involved in procedures.
"It is a multi-factorial problem that requires constant monitoring and changes to reflect justice and fairness and the technical and technological advances,” he said.
"Furthermore the fee schedule states the maximum that can be charged. With fierce competition, this may not actually happen as patients tend to shop around.”
‘Schedule is incomplete’
Tharmaseelan said he is not entirely happy with the revision of the fee schedule as it has failed to regulate the cost of the latest medical procedures.
"The MMA is disappointed that the schedule is incomplete and does not include the newer procedures in keeping in line with technological advancements in medicine that the MMA had proposed.
"How they (private healthcare providers) will charge for these procedures will be left to individuals, which will be not regulated.”
Tharmaseelan said the MMA had advocated a 30 percent hike - the same as a task force set up by the Health Ministry to review the fee schedule.
"However, the cabinet only agreed to a 14.5 percent increase," he said.
He said the revision was approved just before the 13th general election last May, but had been put off and finally gazetted on Dec 16 last year, without fanfare.
"Even members of the clerical side at the Health Ministry were not aware of it when the ministry was (contacted) for progress on the Fee Schedule. The MMA too was surprised when alerted by the media," he added.
"There has been virtually no increase though the fee schedule is supposed to be revised every five years. The last review was in 2002, 12 years ago," MMA president Dr NKS Tharmaseelan toldMalaysiakini.
Tharmaseelan said the approved average hike of 14.5 percent for medical fees still lags behind the Consumer Price Index (CPI)."Though we accept the fees imposed purely as doctors who put service before themselves according to the Hippocratic Oath, the increase does not commensurate with the increase in the cumulative (CPI), nor does it reflect inflation since 2002,” he said.
"However, it is sad that despite prices going up all around, the medical profession is the only profession, including the blue-collar and white-collar hob holders, to have their fees pegged below the (CPI).”
Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that the 13th Schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, which regulates fees in the private healthcare sector, had been amended to raise fees for medical consultation and procedures.
This has raised the range cap for consultation fees from between RM10 and RM35 to RM30 and RM125 for general practitioners and from between RM30 and RM125 to RM80 and RM235 for specialist doctors.
Fees for medical procedures have also been increased by between 14 and 18 percent.
Tharmaseelan (right) said there is a misconception that doctors are raking in money, saying they are already scraping the bottom of the barrel."More than 500 individual stand-alone general practitioner clinics have closed down or have been bought over by large chain-clinics or business corporations," he said.
Commenting on the fee hike, Tharmaseelan said a flexible range is necessary as fees should vary according to the disease, complexity, surgeon's experience and risks involved in procedures.
"It is a multi-factorial problem that requires constant monitoring and changes to reflect justice and fairness and the technical and technological advances,” he said.
"Furthermore the fee schedule states the maximum that can be charged. With fierce competition, this may not actually happen as patients tend to shop around.”
‘Schedule is incomplete’
Tharmaseelan said he is not entirely happy with the revision of the fee schedule as it has failed to regulate the cost of the latest medical procedures.
"The MMA is disappointed that the schedule is incomplete and does not include the newer procedures in keeping in line with technological advancements in medicine that the MMA had proposed."How they (private healthcare providers) will charge for these procedures will be left to individuals, which will be not regulated.”
Tharmaseelan said the MMA had advocated a 30 percent hike - the same as a task force set up by the Health Ministry to review the fee schedule.
"However, the cabinet only agreed to a 14.5 percent increase," he said.
He said the revision was approved just before the 13th general election last May, but had been put off and finally gazetted on Dec 16 last year, without fanfare.
"Even members of the clerical side at the Health Ministry were not aware of it when the ministry was (contacted) for progress on the Fee Schedule. The MMA too was surprised when alerted by the media," he added.
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