PAC Hears Horror Stories About Health Insurance, Private Hospitals

By Alifah Zainuddin | 21 February 2025

At a packed town hall in Parliament, the PAC heard dozens of horror stories about health insurance and private health care. Many claimed that their insurers ignored BNM’s 10% cap on premium hikes. Others highlighted exorbitant private hospital bills.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) heard testimonies from over 50 speakers today in a public hearing on private health care costs, where concerns were raised over rising health insurance premiums and private hospital charges.

The three-hour session, attended by over 550 participants, was the second PAC hearing following its first in Penang that drew nearly 200 attendees. This marks the first time a parliamentary committee has held a public hearing.

Today’s session, moderated by Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin, saw participation from several lawmakers, including Betong MP Richard Rapu, Kubang Pasu MP Ku Abdul Rahman Ku Ismail, Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof, Kapar MP Dr Halimah Ali, and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok. 

Representatives from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM), and the General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) were also present.

The town hall was packed, with about 25 people lining up at any given time to speak. A total of 51 participants took the floor. At one point, Sim urged brevity, cautioning that if each speaker took five minutes, the session would last 37 hours.

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Read Further on https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2025/02/pac-hears-horror-stories-about-health-insurance-private-hospitals/