Page 17 - MEDICAL AND HEALTH INSURANCE
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MEDICAL AND HEALTH INSURANCE
Although it is affordable healthcare, there is a referral system for seeking
treatment for secondary and tertiary care. Generally, one has to go to the
primary care level of the outpatient department and only upon referral will
it be escalated to the secondary care or tertiary care level. There is waiting
time due to the long queue and sometimes those affected may opt for
private healthcare and incur out-of-pocket expenses or private health
insurance financing.
The private hospitals and clinics are mostly concentrated in urban areas
due to demand by the affluent community.
The services offered are on a fee-for-service basis from primary care to
secondary and tertiary care. However, the range is not comprehensive due
to specific objectives of the setup of the hospitals or clinics in providing
only certain services. Generally, the services provided by private hospitals
are curative and diagnostic health services, which are selective in nature.
Primary care is provided by private general practitioners who provide an
alternative to the general public for consultation and treatment with
easier access, simpler registration and appointments with shorter waiting
times.
Similarly, the services offered by private hospitals are mostly concentrated
on secondary and tertiary care, patients can have direct access and waiting
times are much shorter in the private than in the public system.
Private hospitals are profit oriented. Whilst they are required by law to
provide quality care to the patient, they are financially independent from
the government. Hospital charges differ from hospital to hospital and
some prestigious hospitals charge exorbitant fees. Even though the
professional fees of doctors are regulated, the other hospital charges are
not.
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