Healthcare inflation rate set to go up

“SHOCK over consultation fees news” – I’m not surprised by this headline in The Star used for the report on the government’s announcement that it will allow private medical practitioners to set their own fees (Dec 8; online at bit.ly/star_shock).

The announcement will likely result in higher medical bills and will add to the problem of Malaysia’s rising medical inflation. Medical insurance experts have pointed out that a (2017) survey of 11 Asian countries on healthcare matters saw Malaysia with the third-highest healthcare inflation rate at 12.7, after India’s at 14% and Indonesia’s at 13.1%.