Encounter cost with doctors to remain

Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia wishes to clarify that there will be no increase in the encounter cost when patients visit general practitioners once the fees are gazetted.

It was mentioned at the Health Ministry town hall session that although the consultation fee is to be increased, the encounter cost (consultation as well as medication and other procedures) will remain the same.

The fee guideline for general practitioners in private clinics came into effect in 1992 as a guideline by the Malaysian Medical Association MMA and not as a stipulated law by the ministry.

In 2006, the ministry incorporated this fee into a new act — the Private Healthcare and Facilities Act 2006 — without any revision, even though it was a fee from the 1992 schedule.

However, for general practitioners in private hospitals, their consultation fee was revised in 2013 to between RM35 and RM125.

This revision was not for GPs in clinics, which remained at between RM10 and RM35.

With increasing operational costs, GPs in clinics are unable to absorb the costs any longer.

At the meeting, the Pharmacy Division said the government would soon regulate the price of medicine.

Patients may consult their doctor and get a prescription to get medicine from pharmacies if it’s cheaper.

We expect to see a price reduction with the introduction of the National Health Financing System where doctors will concentrate on consultation, examination and procedures, while patients can collect medicine from a clinic or pharmacy.