Although the new law requiring clinics to display the actual prices from medicines to service charges is seen as a transparent move by the government, in reality it is like pouring water on a burning fire.
Many medical practitioners have highlighted the implications of the regulation which will further increase the cost of treatment by up to 30%, thus sparking concern.
Charges that were previously combined such as consultations, treatments and medicines, will now have to be displayed in detail, including previously invisible operating costs.
The result? Patients will have to bear the difference.
According to the President of the Federation of Private Medical Associations of Malaysia (FPMPAM), consultation fees alone are expected to increase by RM10 to RM30 and described the change as a major disruption to the existing billing system that has been in place for a long time.
Although almost 200 general practitioners have gathered in front of the Prime Minister's Office to protest, the government is still adamant about continuing with the implementation of this law — which is more suitable for retailers, not clinics.
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has warned of the risk of overlapping enforcement with two different laws that could cause confusion, not just for clinics, but for patients as well.
Transparent? Maybe.
But for many patients, it's not a matter of prices being disclosed but of prices getting crazier.
