Well, well, well! Is this what we voted Pakatan Harapan for on 9 May 2018?
Did we vote for higher private medical consultation fees, like when we visit our local general practitioner's clinic, even for relief of a cold or a fever?
Well, we now are very likely going to have to pay higher, following the Pakatan Harapan Cabinet's decision to let private doctors and specialists fix their consultation fees - i.e. a neo-liberal style deregulation of healthcare charges, instead of a revision of the limit on fees chargeable so that they remain affordable, especially today when prices and cost of living remain high.
Moreover, prices of Research Octane Number (RON) 95 and RON 97 petrol will be deregulated and allowed to rise come 2020.
So will Selangor state remove the monthly RM6 rebate on water use charges for residents.
This is Thatcherite, Reaganite, von Hayekist, von Misesist, Chicago School style neo-liberalism in action.
Is the Pakatan government under the charm of local neo-liberal think tanks and NGOs, or are they full of neo-liberals?
I don't know how to wish people "Happy New Year" with a straight face in 2020.
Meanwhile, if Pakatan tiada-Harapan wants to lose GE15, please be my guest.
Two articles in the Sunday Star of 8 December 2019 follow below:-
Shock over consultation fee news
Sunday, 08 Dec 2019
By LOH FOON FONG and And DENISE KHOO
KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet's move to allow private doctors and specialists to fix their consultation fee has shocked Malaysians who are worried about the possibility of rising healthcare costs.
HR consultant Toh Joo Lee said middle-class families could afford to go to private clinics but when the fees are unregulated, they would likely go up, thus making the service less accessible.
Toh, 33, is also concerned that patients might have to fork out a hefty sum in emergencies.
Programme administrator Stephanie Cheang said with no regulation controlling consultation fees, specialists might take advantage by charging a premium.
"This will leave middle-income parents like myself and my husband with limited choices.
"We want to be able to consult good specialists for our daughter."
"I think the government should provide guidelines on the maximum charge for consultation fee per visit," said Cheang, 30.
Lim Lay See, 42, said there should be a mechanism in place to ensure such fees remain affordable.
"Now, I am worried because it may cost way more than the current fees," said Lim.
However, a mother of four, Sem Aw, 51, agreed with the deregulation
She said this would allow doctors to waive or charge minimal fees to the poor.
She explained that she had met a patient who left a specialist clinic with her screaming baby when told the minimum charge was RM135.
"Specialists should at least treat their patients first and charge with discretion," she said.
The Health Ministry made the announcement about deregulating the fee structure on Friday, which means that private doctors, dentists and specialists in clinics and hospitals can soon set their own consultation fees.
No date has been announced on when this will start, as the regulations on the fees need to be amended first.
The move came about after general practitioners in standalone clinics had protested about their fees of RM10 to RM35, which had not been revised since 1992.
Doctors at private hospitals with similar qualifications, however, have been charging between RM30 and RM125 per consultation since 2013.
But this deregulation move by the government has stunned the Citizens' Health Initiative, an informal grouping that works towards healthcare reforms.
Describing it as "bizarre" and very unexpected, member Dr Chee Heng Leng explained that GPs had been asking their fees to be adjusted but the Cabinet instead opted to free the market for all private doctors.
"There were hardly any consultations with consumer groups and the public.
"We were caught unawares," she said.
The healthcare market is not perfect, she said.
"There is competition in urban areas, but in areas with only one doctor, it will be difficult for people to travel to other places.
"They tend to go to the nearest facility when they are sick and need care urgently," she said.
Dr Chee cautioned that if private doctors increase their fees too high, more patients would turn to public healthcare and the government would then need to allocate more resources to ensure waiting time is manageable.
If fees are too high, insurance premiums might increase, she added.
Fomca CEO Datuk Paul Selvaraj said that doctors should display their charges for their patients' viewing.
He added that the government must also look at ensuring all charges at private hospitals are affordable as "many Malaysians pay out-of-pocket and do not have insurance".
With public hospitals being overcrowded and private hospitals charging too high, Paul suggested that hospitals owned by government-linked companies play a role in offering affordable rates.
"The government must play a significant role in making healthcare accessible and affordable for all so that people do not suffer," he said.
Government urged to set minimum doctors' fee
Sunday, 08 Dec 2019
KUALA LUMPUR: The government should state a minimum consultation fee to prevent private doctors from undercutting one another, said Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia former president Dr Peter Chan.
These doctors, if they resort to undercutting one another, would compromise their professional fees, he said.
"The Health Ministry should have put out a minimum professional consultation fee charge," he said.
On Friday, the ministry said that doctors, dentists and specialists in private clinics and hospitals would be allowed to fix their own charges.
The decision was made after general practitioners in standalone clinics complained that the current fees of RM10 to RM35 have not been revised since 1992, while doctors at private hospitals who have the same qualifications have been charging between RM30 and RM125 per consultation.
It is not known yet when the new charges based on market forces will start, as the regulations need to be amended first.
Dr Chan said that doctors should focus on providing good quality patient care at reasonable charges, even if there is a monopoly in rural areas.
All medical associations have to come up with an agreed list of charges for different levels of consultation, he said.
However, he believed that these consultation fees would likely remain about the same as current rates because doctors would charge what their patients could afford.
Association of Specialists in Private Medical Practice past president Dr Sng Kim Hock said the deregulation of private doctors' consultation fees would enable them to charge according to the services provided.
The move, he said, would mean that specialists could fix their rates according to the complexity of the case, and services given after office hours.
"It will also allow senior and experienced subspecialists to charge accordingly.
"At the moment, there is no difference in charges when you see any specialist," he said.
Dr Sng said that compared to other professions such as lawyers or architects, specialists' consultation fees are low.
Currently, specialists' fees costs up to RM235 for first consultation and between RM60 to RM105 for subsequent visits.
Singapore has withdrawn its guidelines on fees since April 2007, allowing private doctors to set their own consultation fees.
In November last year, Singapore's Health Ministry published a benchmark fee structure for common surgical procedures to help patients make better-informed decisions. However, there was none on doctors' consultation fees.
Similarly, in England and Australia, private practitioners are free to determine their own fees.
While the Australian Medical Association publishes an annual List of Medical Services and Fees, it serves only as a recommendation.
In Japan, medical fees are regulated and reviewed every two years.
Its government controls the prices of all fees in relation to medical services and pharmaceuticals provided at hospitals and clinics.
Meanwhile, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) or "People's Justice Party" are having a "ball" at their Youth and Annual National Congress last Friday this weekend.
Chaos erupts at PKR Youth congress
PKR troublemakers could be sacked, says Fahmi
Brawl spills to the streets as PKR scuffles continue
This is even more chaotic.
Misteri baju hitam cetus kecoh, insiden darah, baling batu
This is a clear evidence of tribalism between supporters of a sacked PKR member and the rest of PKR Youth.
"The PKR Youth congress was interrupted repeatedly this morning when a group of members tried to smuggle in sacked permanent chairman Mizan Adli Md Noor into the event, clashing with those trying to stop them."
"Mizan was sacked just ahead of the congress and previously insisted he must attend to open the assembly."
"Despite the apparent truce between rival factions in the party, there appeared to be two camps that dressed according to their affiliations."
This is even more graphic.
TERKINI : Pergaduhan Penyokong KEADILAN di Perkarangan MITC ! #KongresNasionalPKR
PKR Youth takes it outside as scuffles continue
Police calls eight over fracases at PKR Youth congress
And at PKR's Annual Congress this weekend:-
Azmin's parallel congress still happening but now renamed 'appreciation dinner'
Trouble again: Azmin's faction stage walkout from PKR congress
Sack 'em, PKR delegate says after walkout
You broke ceasefire promise, Azmin tells Anwar
Did my 'Si Kitol' speech irk you? That's your problem, Anwar tells Azmin
Azmin: Focus on new govt should be reforms, not power transition
Azmin and his men missing from final day of PKR National Congress
Welcome to our "New Malaysia", folks!
Yours truly
Politischeiss
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