MMA urges BNM to clarify patient protection amid cashless restrictions
The Malaysian Medical Association is calling on the central bank to protect patients affected by insurance companies restricting cashless medical facilities for private specialists. The association argues that commercial interests are increasingly overriding clinical judgment and patient needs.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights the tension between healthcare providers, insurers, and regulators regarding patient access to private medical care.
MMA president Dr Sivanaesan Letchumanan lamented that healthcare in the country is increasingly being controlled by ‘commercial interests’ rather than guided by clinical judgment and the needs of patients. (MMA pic)
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to disclose what protection is available to patients affected by insurance companies' withdrawal of cashless facilities for private specialists.
In a statement, MMA president Dr Sivanaesan Letchumanan also called on the central bank to reveal the number of complaints received over cashless restrictions, panel withdrawals and demands for doctors to return payments, as well as how many cases were resolved.
The MMA’s call follows revelations during the 2027 budget debate in the Dewan Rakyat that about 190 private sector specialist doctors nationwide had reportedly lost their cashless facilities with insurance companies.
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