KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 – Kuala Langat MP Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi supports the introduction of a national health insurance scheme as a supplementary means of financing health care.
The Opposition lawmaker, who heads Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) health portfolio, said that the current financing structure is inadequate to meet the country’s health care needs.
“I think it is time that a national health insurance scheme is introduced,” Dr Ahmad Yunus told CodeBlue in an interview in Parliament last March 28. “We cannot rely solely on tax revenue to manage our country’s health care services; it is not enough.”
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa previously told the Dewan Rakyat that the Health White Paper, slated to be tabled in Parliament in June, is expected to feature a recommendation for the implementation of a national health insurance programme.
The Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy estimates that a payroll-funded social health insurance scheme – with contribution rates similar to the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) at 11 per cent from employees and 13 per cent from employers – could generate RM31.1 billion in funding for health care spending.
This would be in addition to the allocations from the federal budget that the Ministry of Health (MOH) receives.
“In broad terms, I am very supportive of a national health insurance programme. In terms of the contribution percentages, whether it should be the same as EPF rates, I think that has to be thoroughly studied to make sure that it does not burden both the worker and employer,” Dr Ahmad Yunus said.
The PAS MP believes that the government should continue to provide assistance, such as subsidies or the Madani Medical Scheme, to support those in the B40 income group who may not have the financial means to afford health care.
“I think for people in the M40 and T20 groups, a national health insurance scheme should be applicable. I do think this is the time for national health insurance.”
In September last year, CodeBlue’s survey among 529 respondents revealed that 72 per cent support mandatory social health insurance funded by payroll deductions.
The survey also showed that 92 per cent agreed that the annual public health care budget should be doubled to RM70 billion, or five per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Nearly half (46.3 per cent) of respondents were also in favour of restoring the goods and services tax (GST) to raise the public health care budget, while 88 per cent want the Prime Minister’s Department’s allocation reduced and diverted to MOH.
Dr Ahmad Yunus, a medical doctor by training, added that revising MOH’s outpatient and specialist care fees of RM1 and RM5, respectively, could also contribute towards increasing funds for the public health care system.
“I believe this RM1 fee has been in our health care system for a long time. We need to look at the possibility of raising this fee to maybe RM5, for example, or RM10. Whatever it is, we have to properly evaluate this matter before a decision is made,” Dr Ahmad Yunus said.
Former Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin previously described the RM1 and RM5 fees for outpatient and specialist care respectively at MOH’s health care facilities as “unsustainable”.
Khairy told Parliament that the government’s collection from the RM1 and RM5 medical fees, as stipulated under the Fees (Medical) Order 1982 and Fees (Medical) (Amendment) Order 2017, accounted for only one per cent of the amount spent on public health care.
