Ministry to probe claims of threats to patients to settle medical bills: Mary Yap (Updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: The Higher Education Ministry will investigate claims that patients have been threatened to settle their medical bills with Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMCV) and Chancellor Tuanku Muhriz
Hospital (HUKM).
Its deputy minister Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching said the ministry would also investigate the status of the patients involved, whether they were governnent pensioners or not.
"If the patients are retirees, they are eligible for free medical treatment. It's the same for the disabled.
Therefore, I ask that the Honourable Member (Tan Kok Wai) hand over the letter to facilitate a thorough investigation," she said at the Dewan Rakyat sitting, here, today.
Yap was replying to a question from Tan (DAP-Cheras) on the claims that UMMC and HUKM had issued lawyers' letters to threaten patients that they would be blacklisted and taken to court if they failed to settle their medical bills.
She explained that the treatment costs or medical charges at these teaching hospitals were in accordance with the standard operating procedure set.
"This system also makes comparisons with the Health Ministry and private hospitals from time to time, by the service charge committee approved by the management board and it includes representatives of the Higher Education Ministry, Finance Ministry and Health Ministry.
"The treatment charges approved include 60% government subsidy to ensure the charges are acceptable to the public."
Yap said patients should be responsible for the medical bills they receive as UMMC and HUKM did not offer free services to all patients.
She also explained that the issuing of demand letters for settlement of medical bills issued by debt collecting companies appointed by UMMC and HUKM was a last resort after other proposed options for settlement received no response from patients or their next of kin.
Yap said sufficient time was also given for them to discuss the payment mode, whether by instalments or according to their means.
She added that eligible patients could also seek payment exemption or bill reduction, besides assistance from welfare funds. — Bernama