Rethink decision on deregulating consultation fees

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry should rethink its decision on deregulating consultation fees across all registered and licensed private healthcare facilities, the Consumers Association of Penang said.

In a statement yesterday, its president Mohideen Abdul Kaderin expressed concern that while deregulating the fees would take care of the economic welfare of health practitioners, it could bear negative consequences, considering healthcare products and services do not come under ordinary consumer goods.

“Information asymmetry between healthcare practitioners and patients is often severe, usually the doctor (service seller) is in a dominant position or authority proposing further treatment or diagnosis, indirectly suggesting ‘what to sell’ to patients.

“By just displaying the fees, it does not mean consumers are empowered or patients are given more choices,” Mohideen said.

“Besides, the most basic is the consultation fee and treatment fees can vary greatly (especially in private hospitals), and often, patients do not know what to expect after the first consultation,” he said.

Mohideen was also concerned that general practitioners or the chain-facilities might cluster and start a “cartel” or engage in anticompetitive practices that could indirectly result in increasing outof-pocket expenditure for healthcare treatment.

He urged the government to refrain from deregulating the procedural fee schedule and instead monitor and study the effects of the deregulation of consultation fees before implementation.

He also urged the government to monitor private medical fees and intervene when necessary or if it leaves a negative impact on the people’s welfare and consumers’ rights.