Managed Care Organisations must be regulated

IN the Health White Paper, which highlights the need for reform towards a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient health system in this country, there is a special focus on enhancing primary care. It is stated that if we provide better care and prevent illness or diseases at the primary care level, hospitalisations and severe health complications would be reduced significantly, and fewer people would die prematurely. In other words, Malaysians would remain healthier and lead a more rewarding and productive life for many decades of their adult lives.

Managed Care Organisations (MCO) or Third Party Administrators (TPA) sprang into the Malaysian healthcare landscape more than two decades ago. Their initial objective was to better organise and procure healthcare services for companies and their employees and help to reduce healthcare costs.