The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) member hospitals’ foremost priority is the quality of care provided to our patients. Therefore, it is APHM’s duty to notify patients that some of our member hospitals may face removal from insurance panels in the near future, as they are unable to meet requests by insurers for exorbitant discounts on patient bills.
APHM encourages patients to verify with their insurance providers which hospitals may be removed from the insurance panels, as this will affect the continuity of treatment and may cause delays critical to patients’ outcome.
APHM also wishes to clarify that patients can still seek treatment from APHM member hospitals that are delisted from the insurance panel, but they would have to pay first and claim on their own, because delisted hospitals are not granted a cashless facility nor guarantee letters (GLs) by insurers.
Over the years, APHM member hospitals have carried out various initiatives for cost containment, and more so post-Covid 19, to address medical cost inflation.
While APHM member hospitals have consistently provided reasonable discounts to insurers, exorbitant discounts are not sustainable and will compromise the quality of care that our patients expect to receive.
As private hospitals, our primary mission is to provide the best care for our patients, grounded in evidence-based practices and delivered with compassion.
We strive to minimise delays that could affect patient outcomes while offering cutting-edge medical technology, expertise, and services at a global standard.
To maintain this level of care, APHM member hospitals reinvest profits annually into the latest technology and infrastructure, which we believe is vital in enhancing patient treatment through less invasive procedures and in improving survival rates.
Presently, APHM is actively engaged in ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Health (MOH), Bank Negara Malaysia, and the Public Accounts Committee to explore transparent and collaborative solutions that address the issue of medical inflation.
Our priority remains the wellbeing of patients, and we are committed to acting in their best interest while supporting the continued development of Malaysia’s health care system.
Dr Kuljit Singh is president of the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM).
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
