Regulate third party administrators beforehand, says MMA

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) -- As the proportion of patients enjoying employer paid or subsidised healthcare goes up and the proportion of self paying patients go down, it will be difficult for clinics to survive on cash paying patients alone, especially in urban areas, says the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).

In a statement issued here today, its president Dr Ravindran R Naidu said furthermore the Ministry of Health's cap on doctors' fees also distorts the market, what more with the revision of Fee Schedule being infrequent.   

"Some of the third party administrators (TPAs) use their dominant position to reduce doctor's consultation fees and others take a fixed percentage of the doctor's fees as administratitive fees. MMA has clearly stated that the latter practice is considered fee-splitting and is therefore unethical," he said.

He said this in response to Health Minister Dr Dzulkefli Ahmad's suggestion that private clinics should rely less on being in on the medical insurance panel and instead should strive to attract patients through the services provided.

It is more important for the Ministry to regulate the activity of TPAs so that the unethical practises could be eliminated.

-- BERNAMA