NGOs: Details of scheme sketchy

NST: The National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme is to take off next year but, according to an alliance of 82 non-governmental organisations, hardly anyone is clear about how it will work and its potential impact on the insured.
Claiming that details from the Health Ministry have been sketchy, they said the NHI had caused much confusion.
Calling themselves the Coalition Against Health Care Privatisation Malaysia, more than 100 representatives of the 82 organisations gathered at a forum today to discuss the matter.
Coalition chairman Dr Subramaniam Pillay, a retired lecturer from Universiti Sains Malaysia, said: "We have met Health Ministry officials and even written to Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Ismail Merican asking for details, but they say they cannot provide answers until their consultant briefs them."
When the NHI takes effect next year, most Malaysians will have to make mandatory contributions for healthcare. Those exempted will include the one million civil servants, about 200,000 disabled, 1.8 million elderly citizens, 435,000 pensioners, and 250,000 hardcore poor.
The Health Ministry is also in the midst of identifying groups in the private sector exempted from payment.
In May, the Health Ministry’s planning and development division evaluation and plan formulation unit head, Dr Rohaizat Yon, said a consultant had been appointed to identify scheme details such as the quantum of payment, the criteria for contributions, the collection mechanism, the nature of basic health packages, and how the ministry would pay clinics and hospitals.
Former Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Abdul Khalid Sahan delivered the keynote address at the forum entitled, "Health Financing Reform: Should We Be Concerned?" at Universiti Malaya.
Among the issues raised at the forum were how the money would be used, the rights of individuals to be treated regardless of whether or not they had deposits, and whether the NHI would be redundant given the availability of private healthcare insurance.
"Would the money be managed in an accountable manner? That is our concern," Subramaniam said.
He asked why employers were exempted from paying for their employees when government servants had the privilege of not contributing to the scheme.
Women Development Collective executive director Maria Chin Abdullah said the Government should clearly explain the framework of the scheme to the public.
Malaysian Trades Union Congress president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud said the public had a right to know exactly how the system worked and how much to pay.