KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will discuss with the Finance Ministry (MOF) on the National Heart Institute's (IJN) proposal to raise fees for patients referred by the ministry by 10 to 40 percent.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the discussion with MOF is to also analyse the factors contributing to the rise in costs or fees charged to patients.
"IJN is under MOF and the Health Ministry is a client of IJN. We will discuss the proposal from IJN and analyse the reasons behind the increase in costs or fees that they impose on patients.
"This (the proposal to increase fees) will impact the Health Ministry as we are still referring patients to IJN.
"That is our response for now because we cannot influence the fees charged by IJN, as it is not under the Health Ministry," he told a press conference held at the Parliament building today.
Lukanisman was responding to a question on a news report that IJN is asking for a 10 to 40 per cent hike in fees for patients outsourced by the Health Ministry.
The existing fee structure was set in 2003.
IJN chief executive officer Prof Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Ezani Md Taib, as reported by The Edge, said the healthcare costs have gone up, yet IJN still charges the government the original costs (which were set in 2003).
"For example, we have additional doctors or nurses, we don't charge them for it, we have to bear the cost.
"So, we are seeking a fee review, an increase of 10 per cent to 40 per cent, depending on the procedure," he was quoted as saying.
He assured that despite the increase, the charge will not be as expensive as what private hospitals charged.
He also made a comparison: a simple bypass surgery, which costs between RM110,000 and RM1220,000 in private hospitals, costs only between RM40,000 and RM50,000 at IJN.