Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said a review is being undertaken to streamline licensing and regulatory processes under Act 586 following industry concerns.
PETALING JAYA: The health ministry is reviewing the licensing and regulatory processes under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586) to address industry concerns over delays and rising costs.
Its minister, Dzulkefly Ahmad, said the review aims to streamline procedures, as lengthy approval processes have been cited as a factor contributing to higher operational costs, which are ultimately passed on to patients.
He said the matter was discussed during a joint ministerial committee on private healthcare costs meeting with finance minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan, Bank Negara Malaysia, and private hospital chief executive officers.
“We are reviewing the Act 586 licensing and regulatory processes, as we have heard industry concerns that the processes take too long and increase costs that are passed on to patients,” he said in a post on X today.
Dzulkefly also said the ministry has extended a time-sensitive invitation to all private hospitals to partner as Tier 1 providers under the base medical and health insurance and takaful (MHIT) base plan and to take part in a pilot project that will begin in stages in the Greater Klang Valley from July.
He said the invitation also includes participation in the Malaysia Digital Health Certification Network, and sharing of radiology imaging to avoid duplicate tests and reduce costs.
“As the pace of health financing transformation accelerates, this truly whole-of-nation approach sets the benchmark as we extend reform beyond private sector medical inflation to a system-wide transformation,” he said.

Original source: my