Govt to review GP consultation fees under Madani medical scheme

 

The government is looking into the consultation fees of general practitioners (GPs) under the Madani medical scheme, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said.

This comes after several medical practitioner groups slammed the low payments for GPs under the scheme.

“We are capping the price that we give to the GPs, of course, but we are also reviewing our prices.

“One (fee amount under the scheme) is for treatment, and (another) for consultation fees.

“We also give (compensation) to our GPs for X-rays and blood investigations and procedures,” she said during a press conference at the Hospital Management Asia 2023 conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Zaliha (above) added that there would be a RM170 cap for a patient’s visit but did not divulge on the breakdown of the figure.

The Madani Medical Scheme runs from June 15 to Dec 31 this year whereby recipients are subsidised to a fee of RM250 for households, RM75 for single, and RM125 for senior citizens aged 60 years old and above.

Currently, ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd, a company fully owned by the Health Ministry, capped consultation fees for panel GPs under the scheme to RM30.

However, the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations, Malaysia (FPMPAM), the Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia (MPCAM), the Organisation of Malaysian Muslim Doctors (Perdim), and the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) had reportedly asked for the consultation fees to be increased to RM50 prior to the programme’s launch in June.

Citing ProtectHealth, health news portal CodeBlue reported that the fee structure for clinics involved in the scheme amounts to RM60 for combined consultation and medication per visit, RM50 for investigations, and RM50 for basic therapeutic procedures.

Zaliha said the scheme was to draw off patients from congestions in hospital emergency departments as well as help patients in the B40 income group.

The minister also announced that her ministry is prioritising healthcare workers to receive the influenza vaccine, amidst a surge in cases in recent weeks.

Kelvin Yii

Separately, Zaliha’s special adviser Kelvin Yii said that the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) is currently engaging with stakeholders to refine the Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill 2022.

He said that recommendations on the bill were presented to the committee recently.

“It will be down to the committee on whether it wants to adopt the recommendations or not.

“At the end of the day, we respect the independence and empowerment of the select committee, and we are waiting for the next meeting where the select committee will present the recommendations to the Health Ministry.

“From there, we will discuss adaptations to the bill itself until final tabling in the October (parliamentary) session,” he said.

Yii said this when asked if generational end-game would be dropped from the bill.

Generational end-game refers to a ban on individuals born after 2007 from being sold any smoking products be it macro products, heated tobacco, or vapes.

The Health Ministry had referred the bill to the PSSC resulting in a delay in passing the bill in the Dewan Rakyat, which is set to reconvene on Oct 9. - Mkini