PETALING JAYA: Itemised bills for every consultation and medical charges at private clinics do not undermine clinical practice but ensure healthcare remains patient-focused and ethically delivered, says the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca).
Its chief executive officer, Dr T. Saravanan, said issuing a detailed bill empowers patients with the knowledge to compare prices or seek more affordable outlets.
“It dismantles the information asymmetry that has long allowed profiteering under the guise of medical convenience,” he said in a statement on Friday (August 8).
Saravanan added that consumers, especially the elderly, the chronically ill, and lower-income groups, have long been voiceless and disadvantaged due to opaque pricing.
“The government’s reform restores their agency, reduces unjust markups, and brings our healthcare system up to international standards,” he said.
Citing the growing cost of medical expenditures through insurance costs and direct payments, he said, reinforcing transparency is not only fair but fiscally prudent.
“Mandatory itemised billing counters possible distortions and encourages ethical behaviour,” Saravanan said.
Beginning Aug 1, private clinics were required to provide itemised bills for every consultation and medical charges, and display medicine prices at their premises.
According to Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Fuziah Salleh, the measures, introduced by the National Action Council on Cost of Living (Naccol), allow patients the choice of purchasing medication from the clinic or a pharmacy of their preference.
She said this must be done without additional charges to allow patients to understand the details of services provided as well as charges for treatment and medicine.
