Affordability Remains a Barrier to Healthcare Access in Malaysia, New Survey Reveals

A recent article published on the CodeBlue website (https://codeblue.galencentre.org/) has shed light on the persistent challenges some Malaysians face in accessing healthcare due to financial constraints. The article, based on findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023, highlights that despite the country’s robust healthcare system, a segment of the population still struggles with unmet medical needs due to cost barriers.

Unmet Healthcare Needs: A Continuing Concern

The NHMS 2023, released by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in May, revealed that 2.3% of Malaysia’s population reported unmet healthcare needs in the 12 months preceding the survey. More alarmingly, of those with unmet needs, 12.9% cited treatment costs as the primary reason for not seeking medical attention.

“These respondents reported that treatment was either too expensive or unaffordable due to lack of funds,” the article states, underscoring the financial hurdles that some citizens face when it comes to healthcare.

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Healthcare Utilisation Patterns

The survey, which had a response rate of 26.5% with 9,177 participants, also provided insights into healthcare utilisation patterns across different age groups and sectors.

Outpatient Services

Children aged 0-9 years (22.2%) and individuals aged 60 years and above (16.3%) were found to be high utilisers of outpatient healthcare services. Interestingly, there was a near-equal split between those who sought care at public (48.9%) and private (51.1%) healthcare facilities.

The majority of outpatient visits (61.5%) were self-funded by patients or their families, while 18.2% were covered by panel clinics or employee insurance. Notably, 11.8% of visits were exempt from medical fees for groups such as senior citizens and blood donors.

Inpatient Services

The inpatient landscape showed a different picture, with public hospitals accounting for 74.7% of admissions compared to 25.3% in private hospitals. Despite this, more than half (54.8%) of hospital admissions were still self-funded, with only 15% covered by private health insurance.

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Dental Care: A Significant Expense

The article highlighted that outpatient healthcare had the largest average expenditure at RM134, followed closely by oral healthcare at RM28. Approximately 8.6 million Malaysians (25.7% of the population) visited a dentist in the year prior to the survey.

“About 52.3 per cent of dental services were paid for by patients, their families, or household,” the report notes, while a significant 43.6% received fee exemptions under various schemes.

Bridging the Affordability Gap

The findings from the NHMS 2023, as reported by CodeBlue, suggest that while Malaysia has made strides in providing accessible healthcare, there is still work to be done in addressing affordability issues. The fact that cost remains a barrier for some citizens in seeking necessary medical treatment calls for continued efforts to enhance financial protection mechanisms within the healthcare system.

As the country moves forward, policymakers and healthcare providers alike will need to grapple with these insights to ensure that no Malaysian is left behind due to financial constraints when it comes to accessing essential healthcare services.