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"If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside."
Robert X. Cringely

Meshio.com

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Ruling against Profiteering Hospitals

The new ruling, if approved, will definitely be beneficial to consumers as it will help weed out unethical health institutions which charges their patients at an exorbitant rate. Without a proper price schedule, there’s no way a consumer can protect themselves after they are half-way cut up in the operation theatre.

“The MMA Schedule of Fees is now only a guideline to private hospitals, but after the ruling they must follow the schedule of fees.

“Otherwise, they will be considered to be breaking the law and action, such as fines and revoking their medical practising licences, can be taken,� he said, in replying to a question by Datuk Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar (BN – Larut) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Source: The Star

Back in the days when health care plan with medical card was introduced, abuse was rampant, as unethical doctors and health institutions took it as a chance to profit from unwary patients and insurance companies. Surgeries are made for the sake of charging a higher fee, though it’s often unnecessary.

An FAQ on medical cards from Malaysia’s Medical Association is available here. (their website definitely need a re-design, information are rather “scattered” and difficult to find)

It’s due to such irresponsible act that the medical card plans are reviewed and more terms and conditions has been included. Some measures taken by insurance companies included:

  1. Increase in premiums by between 20% and 30%;
  2. Scraping family packages and charging individual premiums;
  3. Pay first, claim later ? under which those seeking treatment have to pay the medical fees first and claim the amount from the insurance company later;
  4. Co-Insurance where 10% of the medical bills to be borne by policyholders. One insurance company, which used to charge a family of five RM600 in annual premium under Sihat Malaysia, has scrapped this facility and is now charging individual premiums, which could amount to RM 3,589. A company official said this was to offset the dramatic increase in claims made by private hospitals.

Medical card plans has matured over the years, and consumer can even choose to own

a) Stand-alone Medical Cards Plan
- renewed on a yearly basis (subject to company’s approval)
- co-insurance 10%
- no return of premium
- most come with “second-opinion
- generally lower premium than ILP linked medical card but increase on a term-basis

b) Investment-linked Medical Card Plan
- guaranteed renewal up to 70-75 years, depending on insurer’s policy
- most doesn’t come with co-insurance, which mean entire cost in covered by insurer.
- with return of premium, though the return in non-guaranteed. It’s advisable that you ask for a realistic projection.
- generally higher premium than stand-alone medical card but premium is most likely fixed as long as insurance charges is covered by the investment units.





You might want to read these too... Comments
  • Jess
    Hi Yow Chuan,

    Do you know where can we get the MMA schedule of fees? I understand there should be a fifth edition by now and that the fees went up another 25-30% from the last edition in 2002?
  • I must say that an RM 5000 deposit is a bit too much.


    If you don't carry a credit card, the receptionist is expecting all of us to be carrying RM 5000 in cash in case of such emergencies.



    Maybe RM 500 would be a more reasonable deposit, while the rest of the money can be paid after the patient is admitted.



    A life is priceless!
  • On a related note, read this article.


    Fucked up Malaysians.



    http://www.mmail.com.my/Current_News/MM/Wednesday/National/20051130113412/Article/index_html
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