KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian private general practitioners (GPs) are calling for a substantial increase in consultation fees, citing operational challenges and rising medical inflation.

This takes place amid soaring healthcare costs and rising insurance premiums, with consumers voicing anxiety over the fee-hike call and citing concerns about affordability and accessibility.

The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) is urging a hike in fees from the current range of RM10 to RM35 (S$3 to $10.50) to an RM50-RM150 range.

The group’s president, Dr Shanmuganathan T.V. Ganeson, said this would be merely a “long-overdue correction” rather than a sudden price spike.

Dr Shanmuganathan said on March 6 that the consultation fee structure has remained unchanged for 19 years since 2006 despite the rising costs of rent, utilities, staff salaries and medical supplies.

“Many small clinics are shutting down, forcing patients to seek more expensive hospital care,” he said.

There are around 8,000 GP clinics in the country, a drop from some 9,800 in 2022. FPMPAM represents over 5,000 members.

Dr Shanmuganathan suggested that the new fees take effect over three to five years, with periodic adjustments based on medical inflation. 

His call followed a furore in December 2024 over a planned 40 per cent to 70 per cent hike in health insurance premiums by providers in 2025.

Following a public outcry, the government announced interim measures on Dec 20, 2024, such as having the premium increases spread out over three years, and imposing a 10 per cent annual cap on rises in premiums.

Then on Jan 1, University Malaya Medical Centre, one of Malaysia’s largest public hospitals that serves a large chunk of Klang Valley residents, raised its fees, with specialist consultation fees rising more than 200 per cent to RM50 and general clinic visits tripling to RM15.

Ms Suee Tiong, 45, a manager at an IT company, said a visit to the GP with her child who has the flu set her back RM80, after adding the cost of prescribed antibiotics and the RM25 consultation fee.