PETALING JAYA: The National Action Council on Cost of Living (Naccol) has given the nod to immediately revise the medical consultation fees under Schedule 7, of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586).
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the revision has also gotten the go ahead from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“We are still in the final stages of discussion with government agencies. We will then determine the consultation fees for the General Practitioners.
“I had given my assurance to the GPs that I would continue to fight this issue, and I anticipate the support from the group for the price display rule on May 1 alongside private hospitals.
“The price display will enable customers to make informed decisions in the choices of treatment while pushing for competitive market forces. This will also indirectly help reduce the issue of medical inflation,” he said during a press conference at Parliament on Thursday (March 13).
Dzulkefly added that they would announce the revised fees for GPs following discussions soonest by May 1 or end of April.
He reiterated the readiness of the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM) with the price display rule come May 1.
He said the ministry, through its Health Transformation Office, has been examining the bigger framework to tackle medical inflation and create a value-based healthcare system.
“We need a multipronged approach to address the inflation, but not just through the price display method, Diagnosis-related groups (DRG) payment system or outsourcing. We need to have a more sustainable approach,” he said.
In November last year, Dzulkefly told Parliament that the government will require all private healthcare facilities to display medication prices this year, as part of a comprehensive initiative to improve transparency in healthcare costs.
The measure will be implemented under the provisions of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, giving it significant regulatory weight.
