Why do private hospital bills keep getting more expensive?
Malaysia’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says it has uncovered several practices that may be contributing to rising healthcare costs, including ‘unbundling’, where patients are charged separately for basic items that would normally be included in room fees.
The committee also found cases where patients using guarantee letters were charged higher rates than those paying cash or through pay-and-claim arrangements.
Beyond hospital billing, the PAC says medical inflation is being driven by rising non-professional charges such as medicines, medical supplies, laboratory tests and medical equipment, while calling for stronger regulation and price control mechanisms.
Produced by: NST Online
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