Private hospitals call for regulatory body for health insurance payments

Free Malaysia Today

Former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye has backed the establishment of a regulatory body to oversee and manage reimbursements provided by health insurance companies.  Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2023/09/19/lee-backs-call-for-regulatory-body-to-oversee-health-insurance-payouts/  Laporan Lanjut: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2023/09/19/lee-sokong-badan-kawal-selia-bayaran-pampasan-insurans-kesihatan/   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Rn6xEV Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on Twitter: http://bit.ly/2OCwH8a  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2OKJbc6 Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3cpbWKK Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/2VUfOrv Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/3B1e8lN Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/39dBDbe ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTNews #Healthcare #PrivateHospitals #MedicalInsurance #Regulatory

Transcript

00:00 These days, private health care and medical insurance are necessities rather than luxuries.

00:06 Those with such coverage take comfort in knowing they won't need to fork a lot of money to

00:11 receive treatment.

00:12 Nevertheless, some issues persist, according to Dr. Kujit Singh, President of the Association

00:18 of Private Hospitals Malaysia.

00:21 He says some private hospitals are having issues in claiming full reimbursement for

00:25 the treatment provided.

00:27 The reason is health care costs have gone up and the insurance companies may be having

00:32 difficulty in increasing the premiums.

00:35 Kujit says while certain procedures are subsidized by private hospitals, they cannot continue

00:40 to do so in the long term.

00:43 We are also having an increased health care cost in procuring equipment, maintaining staff,

00:50 keeping our standards and also returning back profits to our shareholders.

00:56 To protect the interests of patients and private hospitals, Kujit is now advocating for the

01:00 establishment of a regulatory body to oversee insurance payouts.

01:06 He says this will ensure access to private health care for insured patients.

01:10 Former Deputy Health Minister Lee Boon Chye agrees.

01:13 This should be ideally a regulatory authority over the conduct of the MCO so that if there

01:22 is any grievances, then that authority can be an arbitrator to arbitrate the payment.

01:33 And that authority also should have some role in ensuring that the MCO's conduct is ethical

01:44 and it is transparent and it is not sort of arbitrarily.

01:51 Presently, insurance companies are regulated by Bank Negara Malaysia.

01:56 In terms of a regulatory body, Lee says a two-pronged approach is needed, one to regulate

02:02 the financial aspect and the other to regulate health matters.

02:07 It could be a joint authority.

02:08 It means they are regulated by two authorities, one under Bank Negara as to the financial

02:17 dealing, I think Bank Negara has a requirement for them to ensure adequate capitalization

02:25 and policy and what policy they can come up with.

02:32 But on the medical part of it, I think it's better to be under Ministry of Health.

02:39 As a short-term measure, Kujit says closer cooperation with insurers would also help.

02:46 Cooperation will take time because the government will have to enact an act in Parliament in

02:51 order to have the regulation.

02:53 But if we can also work something out without having a regulation and working as partners,

03:00 I think that would be a better way for the time being.

03:04 Danish Rajareza, FMP News.

03:06 [MUSIC PLAYING]

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