The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Association Malaysia described the revised rates of RM10 to RM80 as “regressive and harmful” to the sustainability of private primary care.

The federation urged the government “to immediately revisit and rectify its flawed decision”.

It said it would call for deregulation of all consultation fees. It would also advise general practitioners (GPs) to unbundle charges in line with transparent costing.

The budget proposal raises the ceiling rate on consultation fees to RM80 from RM40 previously, while maintaining the floor rate of RM10.

Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said earlier today that the minimum fee has been maintained at RM10 to ease the financial burden on those who do not have insurance and have to pay for their own treatment.

However, the federation said the government’s logic in maintaining a floor price to preserve affordability “failed in a market dominated by third-party administrators”.

It warned that the RM10 floor rate would immediately become a “corporate anchor’’ for reimbursement, handing managed care organisations and third-party administrators a ready-made tool to suppress fees and dictate terms, which could undercut consultation time, continuity, and patient safety.

“We will also advise medical practitioners to continue rejecting any instructions of third-party administrators, or guarantee letters that restrict or compromise patient care,” the group said in a statement.

The federation said it will publish a list of third-party administrators with contracts that contravene the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act and the Malaysian Medical Council’s code of professional conduct, as well as launch a national campaign for change.

The federation is the second group to express disappointment with the fee review. The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said the review failed to reflect the true value of GPs in delivering frontline care.

MMA said that it has long called for a RM50 minimum consultation fee as more than 60% of patients come through third-party administrators and companies that pay below RM35.