At a press conference outside Parliament, Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin cited a CodeBlue report about Life Insurance Association of Malaysia chief Mark O’Dell, whose minor hernia operation at a private hospital cost him RM19,000 due to itemised charges.

“When even the head of the Life Insurance Association is left shocked by private hospital bills, this shows that the system is broken,” he said.

He added that such rates were hurting the middle class, whom he said could no longer cope with the high costs.

“They are being forced into government hospitals, causing overcrowding and depriving poorer groups of urgent care at government clinics.”

However, he did not provide any data to support the claim.

Sim also said that PKR backbenchers would be gathering feedback from those affected by high private hospital bills.

“We are asking the public to share their experiences with private hospital bills by emailing us at [email protected].”

He said the feedback would be compiled into a report and submitted to the authorities.

“This (initiative) is not about pointing fingers, but about reforming the private healthcare system to make it sustainable and affordable for all,” he said.

Sim also said the cost of medical insurance premiums had increased, in some cases as much as 30-40%.

“When people can no longer afford insurance, they cancel their policies, and this creates even more stress on the public healthcare system,” he said.