Anwar: Bank Negara, Health Ministry addressing health insurance premium hikes

The Star

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Dec 10) that Bank Negara Malaysia, Treasury and Health Ministry will come up with a strict guideline so that medical and health insurance or takaful operators take certain issues into consideration.  Read more at https://tinyurl.com/khtz7t2z  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00But back to the main issue, which is about premium insurance, which is increasing.

00:06We understand that there is an increase with the assessment of the reasons given,

00:11but it must be controlled.

00:14And this is the latest information from the Minister of Health and the Minister of Health,

00:20which is that they will determine, there is a control so that the increase will not be too high

00:28and will not cause many problems to the patients and the problem of inflation.

00:35I invite Mr. Pulai.

00:37Thank you for the answer, Mr. Minister.

00:42We were informed this morning about the discrimination of treatment costs in private hospitals

00:53for dengue disease.

00:56If there is no insurance, it will be only Rp 1,288.

01:02When there is insurance, it will be Rp 4,978.

01:06This is four times the cost.

01:09Indeed, there is discrimination in private hospitals.

01:13So, the system mentioned by the Minister of Health and the Minister of Health earlier,

01:18DRGS is also just to be proposed, not yet implemented,

01:22which means that we do not have the standard to pay for it.

01:25So now, there is an incentive to increase it.

01:28The people feel burdened with this.

01:31So now, what are the short-term steps to solve this problem

01:35so as not to burden the people out there?

01:39Please, Mr. Minister.

01:41The short-term steps are to control the increase.

01:46This means that as long as we introduce the implementation of DRGS control,

01:55DRGS, which stands for Diagnosis-Related Groups,

02:00and also the possibility of amending Article 386 of Schedule 13 for this control,

02:08it is difficult for us to agree to increase it drastically.

02:12That is the first thing we guarantee.

02:14Secondly, with the existence of DRGS, it must be implemented immediately.

02:18I have asked the Ministry of Health to implement it immediately.

02:23And this has been discussed for a long time.

02:25It would be better to do it at the beginning of next year,

02:28so that the cost is not too high.

02:31The cost of the medication is also related.

02:35Because the big companies, which I always mention here,

02:39I will give an example.

02:40For example, the big companies, the Ministry of Health,

02:43for Malaysia, they are charged Rp 5,000

02:46because the control is a bit tight and monopoly so far.

02:50But for Thailand, it is Rp 1,500 for the same medication.

02:56And we have an explanation here.

02:58Therefore, we cannot allow it.

03:00First, this purchase must be paid.

03:03What is wrong with private companies?

03:06For the entire government, the Ministry of Health, KPT, military,

03:12everyone buys drugs so that the cost can be reduced by 20-25%.

03:16Some are lower.

03:17So we will suggest that while we give,

03:22this is a private company, it has a choice.

03:24But if we see that the cost is too high and not sustainable,

03:28of course there is a control.

03:31So for now, I agree with Pulai.

03:34We cannot allow the price to go up.

03:38It will go up a bit.

03:40Meanwhile, DRG S and also the move of Acta 386-2013

03:47will be introduced early next year.

03:52Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister,

03:53because I am very concerned about this premium price increase issue

03:56that has put pressure on the people.

03:58I accept complaints from the people.

04:00For example, a cancer patient.

04:03For decades, he has been loyal to the insurance company.

04:07But after he retired, he had no income

04:13and suddenly the insurance policy went up to 70-80%.

04:18So he had to give up.

04:20And now, he told me,

04:22Wabi, now I have to face cancer on my own.

04:28There is no more protection.

04:29I have to go to the government hospital.

04:32This is what is happening.

04:34So I want to ask, Mr. Prime Minister,

04:36how can we help these groups,

04:39retirees especially,

04:41who have had to give up their insurance?

04:44Or can we help them?

04:46And Mr. Prime Minister,

04:48because the health ecosystem is very wide,

04:50very complex,

04:52can the government,

04:53I suggest to the government,

04:55provide a moratorium.

04:57Temporary.

04:58Don't raise it first.

05:00Let the government investigate,

05:02the KKM and the Bank of Negara.

05:04Investigate.

05:05After that, if there is a solution,

05:07then we can lift the moratorium.

05:09I ask for the minister's explanation.

05:13Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister.

05:14Thank you, Mr. Maru.

05:15What we are doing is not a moratorium,

05:17but an interim.

05:19An interim for a small and patient increase.

05:22If cancer patients increase by 70%,

05:25of course it will not be included in the category of patients.

05:28Therefore, today,

05:30a statement was given,

05:32and before the end of this week,

05:34a little guidance will be given.

05:37And this is also related to a few other steps,

05:39including what I said earlier,

05:41the transfer of documents,

05:42and also determining the DRG.

05:46If we control that,

05:47I believe we can control it.

05:48But if it's a specific case,

05:50Liam Muhammad can bring it for consideration.

05:54But if the cost is high,

05:55usually the patient must be referred to the government hospital.

06:00If the cost is too high.

06:02But raising the moratorium is indeed from the government,

06:06and the Bank of Negara and the Ministry of Health

06:08do not agree.

06:09They will not admit it.

06:20For more information, visit www.fema.gov

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