COMMENT | The Association Private Hospitals Malaysia is receptive to various billing and payment methods for the provision of hospital care and treatment, such as diagnosis-related group and value-based, but it must be evaluated comprehensively.

If Malaysia is transitioning to a healthcare financing model that allows all citizens to access private healthcare through a national plan, it would be suitable to consider implementing a bundled payment scheme (where is it government funded).

This can be combined with transparent treatment protocols and limitations, but ideally with a supplementary programme where patients have the option to personally cover the cost of more services.

Hospital management has always focused on cost optimisation and containment, encompassing not just medical and surgical consumables, but also expenses related to preventative maintenance, energy, waste management, facilities, and housekeeping, among others.

Although hospitals may consider establishing a dedicated department for cost containment, the absence of...