KUALA LUMPUR – The government is exploring long-term solutions to address the rising cost of private healthcare, including discrepancies in treatment charges between patients using a guarantee letter (GL) and those opting for the pay-and-claim system.
Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying revealed that an initial review of the insurance and takaful claims database (ITO) found cases where patients using guarantee letters were charged higher fees compared to those who paid upfront and later claimed reimbursement.
“We found significant differences in private hospital bills. In some cases, patients using a guarantee letter were charged more than those who paid first and claimed later.
“This raises concerns about the transparency of private hospital charges. We take this matter seriously, and a more in-depth study is being conducted to understand the reasons behind these cost differences and the corrective measures that can be taken,” she said during a parliamentary session today.
She was responding to a question from Sim Tze Tzin (PH-Bayan Baru), who inquired about the variations in private hospital charges based on the pay-and-claim method versus the guarantee letter system. He also asked about the 10 most common medical insurance claims among Malaysians.
Hui Ying disclosed that in 2023, the top 10 most frequently claimed medical conditions included pneumonia, heart disease, spinal and digestive system disorders, joint injuries, and viral infections such as influenza and bronchitis.
“ITO data shows that the highest medical insurance and takaful claims involve conditions such as pneumonia, heart disease, joint injuries, respiratory infections, and several others. This reflects the health trends among Malaysians and the financial burden of rising treatment costs,” she explained.
She emphasized that the government will not remain silent on this issue, especially after several public complaints were raised during the recent Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearings.
“The government, through the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Finance, along with private hospitals and the insurance industry, is working towards long-term solutions to ensure more controlled and transparent healthcare costs.
“We will prioritize comprehensive healthcare reforms, including increasing transparency in medication costs and enabling clearer price comparisons for treatments,” she stressed.
She added that an integrated action plan was presented to the PAC yesterday, and the government remains committed to preventing Malaysians from being burdened by uncontrolled medical cost increases. -MalayaDailyToday
