No policy change on itemised billing, says health ministry
PETALING JAYA : The health ministry has confirmed that there are no new policy changes regarding itemised billing for private healthcare facilities and community pharmacies.
The clarification follows confusion caused by a ministry officer's comments during a TikTok Live session, where private general practitioners (GPs) and specialist clinics were told to issue itemised bills.
In a statement, the ministry explained that itemised billing is only required if requested by patients, as outlined under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998.
'Patients have the right to request an itemised bill, which must be provided without additional charges,' said the ministry.
'This helps patients understand the breakdown of charges for services, treatments and medications.'
On May 15, the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) criticised the ministry for issuing instructions through social media.
During the TikTok session, Redzuan Rizal, a senior officer with the ministry's pharmaceutical services division, said patients were entitled to clear information on healthcare charges.
He also encouraged clinics to issue itemised bills, aligning with the mandatory drug price display rule introduced on May 1.
FPMPAM president Dr Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson had called the statement an 'overreach,' stressing that no formal directive or legal amendment had been made.
He added that billing falls under clinical governance, not the pharmaceutical division, and noted that itemised bills were already available on request.
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