medical inflation Archives

21 October 2026

Malaysia

Hong Leong Assurance Reprices Medical Premiums By 9% Annually Until 2028, One-Year Deferment For 60-Somethings

Hong Leong Assurance's 2026 medical repricing involves 9% annual premium increases for 3 years (Nov 2026, Nov 2027, Nov 2028), and projected hikes at 11% in Nov 2029 and 12% in Nov 2030: cumulative 50% hike in 5 years. Certain seniors get 1-year deferment.

5 August 2026

Letter

When Every Hospital Becomes The Same Hospital — Dr Ng Kuo Chern

Commoditisation means that care provided is reduced to the lowest reimbursable denominator: the cheapest medications and implants, and the lowest prices. It is here that we need to exercise caution on the conversation around health care affordability.

10 July 2026

Letter

When The Pendulum Swings Too Far — Dr Ng Kuo Chern

There is a profound difference between removing waste and reducing care to the lowest reimbursable denominator. If private health care is forced to use only what is cheapest, most standardised, and easiest to justify to payors, its role begins to change.

9 July 2026

Letter

The Great Medical Inflation Puzzle: Who Is Really Responsible? — Dr Rajeentheran Suntheralingam

Every time we choose a hospital because of its marble lobby rather than its clinical outcomes, we are voting with our feet and our wallets for a system that prioritises hospitality over health care.

6 July 2026

Letter

Beyond The Price Tag: Addressing The Collective Challenge Of Medical Inflation — Dr Goh Heong Keong

Policy discussions must focus on the major drivers of health care expenditure. Professional fees, which are regulated and remain relatively stagnant compared with broader inflationary trends, represent only a modest proportion of total health care costs.

25 June 2026

Opinion

PAC Report Confirms Need For Urgent Regulatory Reforms In Private Health Care

The Galen Centre strongly supports the PAC’s recommendation for a new and independent governance mechanism for private health care. The government should establish a statutory Private Healthcare Commission with an explicit consumer protection mandate.

21 May 2026

Letter

Central Contradiction Of Malaysia’s Private Health Care System — Mohamad Zakifikri Mohamad Nor

Malaysian private health care increasingly sells reassurance, status, speed, and separation from public-sector discomfort, while speaking the language of health. The result is not merely rising costs. It is the gradual commercialisation of sickness itself.

21 April 2026

Malaysia

Selangor Expects Up To 25% Medical Cost Hike

Selangor MB Amirudin Shari expects medical costs to increase by 15% to 25% amid the Persian Gulf conflict, noting that nearly 70% to 80% of medicines for Malaysia are sourced from overseas.

17 April 2026

Letter

Distrust Is A Symptom, Not The Disease In Malaysia’s Health Care Crisis — Dr Musa Mohd Nordin, Dr Rajeentheran Suntheralingam, Dr Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus & Dr Sng Kim Hock

We call on all stakeholders to move the debate away from emotional accusations of bad faith and toward the unglamorous, difficult work of price regulation. Stop blaming doctors for the medical inflation they did not create.

25 February 2026

Letter

Analysing The Insurance Industry Publication On Price Ranges For Common Private Health Care Services — Dr Mohamed Rafick Khan

Premium stability remains the most critical outcome for policyholders. Sustained medical inflation directly translates into higher premiums and reduced affordability.

Tag: medical inflation

Hong Leong Assurance Reprices Medical Premiums By 9% Annually Until 2028, One-Year Deferment For 60-Somethings

When Every Hospital Becomes The Same Hospital — Dr Ng Kuo Chern

When The Pendulum Swings Too Far — Dr Ng Kuo Chern

The Great Medical Inflation Puzzle: Who Is Really Responsible? — Dr Rajeentheran Suntheralingam

Beyond The Price Tag: Addressing The Collective Challenge Of Medical Inflation — Dr Goh Heong Keong

PAC Report Confirms Need For Urgent Regulatory Reforms In Private Health Care

Central Contradiction Of Malaysia’s Private Health Care System — Mohamad Zakifikri Mohamad Nor

Selangor Expects Up To 25% Medical Cost Hike

Analysing The Insurance Industry Publication On Price Ranges For Common Private Health Care Services — Dr Mohamed Rafick Khan

Obituary: Dr Sng Kim Chai, Sole Community Doctor Of Pulau Ketam — Dr Sng Kim Hock

Malaysian Anaesthesiologist First Asian To Lead Global Pain Association

Dzulkefly ‘Commits’ To Forming Health Service Commission Without Power To Create Positions Or Set Emoluments

Private Hospital Beds Officially Surpass Public Beds In Penang: Exco

Ranau Hospital Crisis: Doctors Working 48 To 72 Straight Hours — Medical Officer