Other matters raised during the session, held at the Parliament building today, included stricter regulation and oversight of the insurance sector.
Attended by 550 people, the session included organisations such as the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca), the Malaysian Pharmacists Society, the Malaysian Coalition on Ageing (MCOA), Together Against Cancer, and the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA).
Also present were members of the health and insurance sectors, academics, and private citizens.
Many participants, including several doctors and pharmacists, called for a greater focus on strengthening the country's public health system, particularly by expanding primary care services and upgrading ageing facilities, to reduce reliance on private healthcare.
Other proposals included the establishment of a National Health Insurance Insurance (NHI) scheme to offer competition to private offerings and more equitable coverage.
Insurance reforms were also widely advocated, including encouraging the reintroduction of takeover clauses, offering healthy living rebates, and ensuring comprehensive coverage for critical treatments.
Many expressed concerns over high out-of-pocket payments, sudden premium hikes, and excessive healthcare charges, with many stating that Bank Negara Malaysia's (BNM) measures to control premium increases were insufficient.
Vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities and cancer survivors, faced limited insurance options, further restricting their access to necessary treatments.
There were stakeholders criticising insurance industry practices, highlighting issues such as secretly "blacklisting" certain hospitals from coverage, limited coverage for critical treatments, and misleading advice by insurance agents.
There were widespread demands for greater regulation and oversight in general, as participants believe insurance premiums have skyrocketed since 2016.
Calls were also made for the government to make it mandatory for insurers to publicly justify price hikes and for private healthcare providers to be more transparent in their charges.
An example scenario was given by PAC member and moderator Sim Tze Tzin, who noted a significant difference between charges based on whether a Guarantee Letter (GL) is provided by the insurer.
"All the experiences are different but Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) have found that, for example, treatment for pneumonia would be three times (more expensive).
"For dengue, it was four times the difference," said Sim during a press conference today.
On Feb 12, PAC chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin announced the PAC would be holding public hearings on the rising health insurance/takaful premiums, private hospital charges, and their impact on public healthcare.
