KUALA LUMPUR (July 29): MediAsas should not be seen as just another medical insurance product, but as part of broader healthcare reforms, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) deputy governor Aznan Abdul Aziz said.
The product entered its pilot phase on Wednesday as stakeholders work to address rising healthcare costs and improve the sustainability of the healthcare system.
Speaking at a panel session focused on tackling rising medical inflation through healthcare reforms, Aznan said MediAsas was designed to balance affordability and long-term sustainability, while encouraging cost-effective care and reducing unnecessary healthcare use.
However, he stressed that MediAsas alone would not solve the sector’s challenges, which require broader reforms.
The MediAsas pilot will assess areas including claims processes, underwriting and operational matters before any wider rollout of the product.
Ministry of Health health transformation office CEO Dr Yap Wei Aun echoed the view, saying there is no single solution to rising healthcare costs. He said reforms in payment systems, digitalisation
and provider management must work together.
“There’s no one ‘silver bullet’,” Yap said, referring to diagnosis-related groups (DRG), which he said should not be viewed as a standalone solution.
ProtectHealth Corporation CEO Hazwan Najib said DRG-based payments would replace the traditional fee-for-service model by grouping patients based on factors such as diagnosis and treatment, with
payments determined according to each group.
He said the shift would be introduced gradually and could improve cost transparency and stability for providers, insurers and patients.
Meanwhile, Health Ministry digital health division director Dr Mahesh Appannan said electronic medical records (EMR) would improve connectivity across the healthcare system by giving patients and
providers better access to medical information.