KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 —The Parliamentary Special Select Committee (JKPK) on Health has recommended that the Ministry of Health (MOH) expedite the implementation of the Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) system to address the rising costs of medical insurance and takaful.
Its chairman, Suhaizan Kaiat, said the DRG system classifies patient treatments based on diagnoses and procedures, enabling more efficient financial management and payment processes.
“With DRG, each patient is categorised according to their condition, which enables us to determine the appropriate treatment and ultimately, the cost of that treatment. This system will help all parties establish standard treatment costs,” he told a press conference at the Parliament Building today.
Suhaizan, the MP for Pulai, added that the Health JKPK also recommended a review of current policies, such as co-payment options, to ensure that treatment costs can be shared between insurance providers, takaful operators, policyholders and takaful participants.
The committee further proposed that MOH enhance its efforts to establish strategic collaborations with stakeholders through the ‘Rakan KKM’ initiative. This will encourage greater participation from the private sector, NGOs, communities, and individuals in supporting the transformation of Malaysia’s healthcare system.
In addition, Suhaizan said MOH was advised to accelerate efforts to establish a National Health Fund aimed at providing sustainable financial resources to meet the medical needs of the public and cover the rising treatment costs.
He said the Committee had held engagement sessions with various parties including MOH, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM), the Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA), and the General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) to discuss the issue of rising insurance and takaful costs.
Meanwhile, the Government Backbenchers Club (BBC) issued a statement calling for a more comprehensive consultation to find solutions to the issue.
“As such, proceedings through the JKPK and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will be part of the initiative by government MPs to assist in finding a comprehensive solution to this problem,” the statement said.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government would introduce guidelines to standardise medical costs, known as DRG, to ensure reasonable and manageable healthcare expenses. — Bernama
