KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is considering a National Health Fund for better healthcare financing, says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

The Health Minister said the ministry is cognisant of the burden of high out-of-pocket (OOP)spending on healthcare. Malaysians' OOP spending on healthcare stood at 37%.

He said the ministry’s approach to healthcare financing would reduce OOP spending and ensure efficient healthcare spending.

“The Health Ministry, as the provider of public healthcare services in the country, has received a total of RM41.2 billion under Budget 2024, approximately 10.5% of the total Budget. However, as a middle-high-income country, there could be higher allocation. But I understand the (government’s) fiscal position,” he said.

Therefore, he said that even if an additional allocation cannot be provided, the ministry would use its resources effectively through innovative and creative approaches to health financing.

The government, he said, believes that the people’s confidence would improve with transparent healthcare allocation.

“As a step in that direction, a National Health Fund which is managed with transparency, efficiency and integrity is being considered to pool funds from various sources including tax revenue, non-tax revenue and funds from the ministry’s enforcement activities including from sugar-sweetened beverages tax,” he said.

He said this would raise stakeholders' awareness of the importance of healthcare financing.

Dzulkefly said that the ministry is studying the direction of the reforms to the healthcare financing system and that an announcement will be made soon.

Dzulkefly had also proposed for the National Health Fund in 2020.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/17/health-ministry-considers-national-health-fund-to-reduce-oop-spending