KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia is set to brief members of parliament tomorrow regarding the medical insurance premiums, which are expected to rise between 40 and 70 per cent next year, said Bayan Baru MP Sim Sze Tzin.
"Every time there is a price hike (in medical insurance premiums), it must receive approval from the central bank.
Therefore, we want to understand how they (BNM) approve it, as the approval is given based on the presentation made by the insurance operators.
"We want to understand how they approve (the increase). Therefore, BNM will brief us tomorrow and we hope to get more information from them (during the session)," he said at Parliament's media centre today.
The briefing will be a closed-door session.
Earlier, Sim and several PKR MPs urged the Health Ministry and BNM to establish a joint task force to find a win-win and sustainable policy and solution for private hospitals, insurance companies and policyholders.
He said the joint task force should consist of medical experts, actuarial scientists and public health policy experts.
"They should investigate (the increase in medical insurance premiums) and find a win-win and sustainable policy and solution for private hospitals, insurance companies and policyholders.
"We also call upon independent bodies such as the Public Accounts Committee to conduct proceedings and public hearings to investigate the actual situation.
"Our goal is not to find fault with any party or restricting the profits of the private health sector.
Our goal is to urge the government to find a solution for the private health ecosystem and sustainable private health financing so that this sector can grow healthily and sustainably."
Sim highlighted that private hospitals have recorded very encouraging profits in recent years.
Citing KPJ Healthcare Group and IHH Healthcare Group as examples, Sim said the profit growth of both shows very impressive profits.
"The question is, is this related to the rise in premiums and inflation that is being felt by Malaysians?"
Sim and other PKR MPs have started an initiative to collect information on the rising charges of private hospitals and medical insurance premiums.
To date, they have received 197 complaints from the public.
"We have also received feedback from several medical experts with decades of experience in private hospitals.
They believe that some of the reasons for the increase in private hospital charges are due to unnecessary hospital admissions, overdoing procedures, redundant MRI, CT scans, PET scans and screenings, escalating compensation awards (by courts) for medical negligence cases and private hospitals pursuing profit."
It was reported that medical insurance premiums are expected to rise between 40 and 70 per cent next year, following notices sent by insurance providers to policyholders citing the rising cost of medical care in private hospitals as the primary reason.