‘High co-payment a barrier to care’

PETALING JAYA: The co-payment feature may deter patients from seeking necessary treatments as the out-of-pocket expenses might be too high, says the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) secretary-general Dr Saravanan Thambirajah.

This is especially for major medical procedures as the co-payment amount can be substantial, he said.

“This could push more people toward public healthcare facilities, potentially increasing congestion at government hospitals.

“Medicine prices, consultation fees and hospital charges must be scrutinised to prevent unjustified price hikes,” he said, while expressing concern that there might be a need to correspondingly address the rising costs of private healthcare.

Read further on : https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/02/22/high-co-payment-a-barrier-to-care