Hospital bill increased by 2,500%?

Piggy bank in the hands of the doctor.

May 8, 2018

Is healthcare affordable when class C bills may have increased by about 2,500%?

My regular insider ES sent me the following very interesting information from 1985:-

In 1985, the surgical charges 6 bedded (inclusive of facilities fees) table 3 to 7 was only $200 – diagnostic charges for x-ray and lab examination was from $5 to $40.

According to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) web site – the bill size middle for ward C (National University Hospital (NUH)) table 7A – heart, bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft) without angiography, is now $6,058.

So, does it mean that the costs in this example, may have increased by about 2,500 per cent ($6,058 divided by $200) from 1985 to now, after accounting for the ward and other miscellaneous charges in the total hospital bill?

Leong Sze Hian

About the Author

Leong

Leong Sze Hian has served as the president of 4 professional bodies, honorary consul of 2 countries, an alumnus of Harvard University, authored 4 books, quoted over 1500 times in the media , has been a radio talkshow host, a newspaper daily columnist, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow, columnist for theonlinecitizen and Malaysiakini, executive producer of Ilo Ilo (40 international awards), Hotel Mumbai (associate producer), invited to speak more than 200 times in about 40 countries, CIFA advisory board member, founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of 2 countries. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors degrees and 13 professional qualifications.