Fee structures and mechanisms should be amended to deal with the current health needs of the population, and the issue of rising costs should also be tackled.
Key takeaways
The article argues that the 13th Schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 is outdated and should be repealed to allow fee structures that reflect modern medical specialties, procedures, and complexities.
- Current fee schedule treats diverse specialists and procedures, like carpal tunnel release, the same despite differing expertise.
- The author cites the need for fees to consider training, experience, complexity, and duration.
- Ministries and insurers are constrained by the old schedule, hindering responsive healthcare financing.
Summarised automatically by AI from the original article by CodeBlue. AI can make mistakes, so check the original for details.
With the introduction of the 13th Schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586), a solution to the woes of private health care organisations and insurers has hopefully presented itself.
The old schedule is outdated because it does not reflect how things have progressed. The Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Finance (MOF), and Public Service Department (JPA) are also victims here as they are subject to the rules stipulated in the previous schedule. I do not blame them for not being able to formulate a better way to be progressive, react faster, and do what is needed.
As doctors, we do what is best for our patients, not our egos. MOH must acknowledge they are not doing right with regard to serving patients, doctors, and insurers.
