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 (CAP) said.
In a statement yesterday, CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kaderin expressed concern that while deregulating the fees will 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 pointed out.
”Besides, the most basic is the consultation fee ... and treatment fees can vary greatly (especially true in private hospitals); and often patients do not know what to expect after the first consultation,“ he added.
Mohideen was also concerned that General Practitioners or the chain-facilities, might cluster and start a “cartel” or engage in anti-competitive practices that could indirectly result in increasing Out-Of-Pocket (OOP) expenditure for healthcare treatment.
In lieu, he asked that the government refrain from deregulating the procedural fee schedule and instead, monitor and study the effects of the deregulation of consultation fees prior to 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 consumer’s rights.
