Photo: ART CHEN/The Star
PETALING JAYA: It’s not only flights that have “premium economy” now, as government hospitals will soon offer “premium economy services” for a fee through the Rakan KKM programme.
The Health Ministry’s new programme will first roll out in five hospitals to test the waters: Will Malaysians pay a little more for increased convenience and comfort?
While dates and which hospitals – other than Hospital Cyberjaya – will be involved have not been announced yet, details of services to be offered were released in a ministry FAQ.
Patients will be able to choose their specialists and can expect personalised care as well as additional privacy and comfort in the wards for elective outpatient, daycare and inpatient services.
All this will be priced below current private hospital rates, the ministry said.
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In a move towards sustainability, these premium economy services will be priced above cost to allow for added income to flow into the public healthcare system.
Services under Rakan KKM will not compete with the luxury and price points of existing private healthcare services, as it is intended to provide Malaysians with value options for public healthcare services, the FAQ read.
The primary benefit for public healthcare teams who opt to participate in Rakan KKM will be earning significant additional income while still continuing to work in a familiar, enabling environment, it added.
Rakan KKM will also differ from the full paying patient (FPP) service offered at some government hospitals.
According to the FAQ, under the FPP system, only specialists benefit from a significant additional income, and revenue generated goes to the government and not directly back to the hospitals.
Under Rakan KKM, public healthcare workers other than specialists who participate will also be formally paid. The extra money from Rakan KKM will go directly back to the hospitals and into the public healthcare system. This will therefore benefit all patients, including those who don’t opt for the scheme.
The Rakan KKM programme will also ensure that there is no disruption to the wait time and patient experience for non-Rakan KKM programmes.
Under Budget 2025, RM25mil was allocated for the initiative for five hospitals.
Will private insurance be included? According to the FAQ, the Health Ministry said it is in talks with private health insurance companies to ensure that services under Rakan KKM can be covered.
“So far, private health insurance companies have responded positively,” the FAQ read.
Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said that if properly implemented, Rakan KKM could benefit a percentage from the population’s M40 (middle income) group who may be willing to pay for an upgrade in services – provided it is within their means.
“Rakan KKM’s plan to reinvest its revenue to improve public healthcare services and its aims to retain public healthcare workers through this initiative may also benefit the public in the long term,” he said.
Dr Khor Swee Kheng, who specialises in healthcare systems, said the Health Ministry should publish statistics and learnings from the FPP scheme that was implemented in several public hospitals beginning in 2007.
“These stats and learnings can inform the public about the potential benefits of Rakan KKM and help make the case for the programme,” he said.
Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, a health economics and public health specialist with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Faculty of Medicine, said the scheme could help private retirees depending on their ability to pay or if they are medically insured.
“Some co-payments are possible in this system too,” she said. She recommended incentives such as a green lane, a discounted government rate, and specialised care for retirees under Rakan KKM.
