29th March 2023
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29th March 2023 |
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15th November, 2014 ANNUAL REPORT 2014 Greetings and best wishes from MDM Bhd. MDM continues to strive to provide the services to meet the needs of its members in providing medical indemnity cover in the best professional tradition. The rising costs in providing these services have necessitated increases in premiums, which we have attempted to keep at manageable levels. The increase of course are related to the risks involved in different types of practices. Discounts are provided to members as a recognition of the time they have been members of MDM. UNDERINVOICED SUBSCRIPTIONS 2013 and 2014 MDM had made a calculation error on your renewal subscriptions for year 2013 and 2014. A wrong discount was given to every member for these two years. This discount was substantial in the high risk specialties. MDM is not asking you to repay this huge amount. Enclosed with your renewal of subscription for year 2015 is an explanatory note on how much a mistaken discount was given to you. We sincerely apologize for this error.INCREASE IN SUBSCRIPTION FOR YEAR 2015 In view of the increasing legal fees, court awards and inflation there will be an increase of 3.5% to 13.5 depending on your specialty. The ultra-high risks group (neurosurgeon and spinal surgery) top the list.Neurosurgeons and spinal surgeons has generated the largest number of claims against MDM. This is followed by the gynaecologists and orthopaedic & trauma surgeons. Recently the court awards for a brain damaged child have been staggering. We thought RM3.5 million was bad; then the next award was RM4.8 million. The latest case the High Court awarded RM6.8 million including costs. This latter case will be appealed. G.S.T. (GOODS AND SERVICES TAX) GST will be implemented from 1st April, 2015. Medical indemnity is not on the tax exempt list. Hence members’ subscription for months April to December, 2015 will be subjected to the 6% tax.Members will have to pay a substantial sum in view of the wrong discount give for 2013 and 2014, increase rates for 2015 and the 6% G.S.T. KEEPING IN CONTACT Members are requested to give their correspondence address of choice. We have problems contacting our members, especially in renewal of subscriptions. Many members state they did not receive the renewal notice. MDM will hence forth post renewal subscription notices to your residential address via AR REGISTERED POST. Please update us in any change of address, place of practice as well as residence.COUNSELLING ON HOSPITAL CHARGES Members are requested to refrain from pre-admission counselling to patients on the “total hospital bill”. That is the responsibility of the accounts department of the hospital. You are advised to give input to the hospital on your procedure fees, ward visit fees, estimated duration of the operation and the estimated duration of hospitalization.With your input the hospital can then advise the patients on their financial commitment. Most of the time when the hospital raise their charges for drugs, treatment and investigations the doctors are not informed of this increase. Neither is the doctor given a copy of his patient’s discharge invoice. Without this it will not be prudent for the doctor to counsel on the “total hospital bill”. One of the reasons for increasing medical negligence suits is the “expensive hospital bill’ and the desired treatment result was not achieved, implying the surgeon was at fault. MEDICAL LEGAL KNOWLEDGE We are surprised that when we counsel members who have received “letter of demand” and “Writ of Summons”, how little knowledge they have on the subject. With every annual report is enclosed “case studies”. These are actual cases that have been resolved by MDM. We advise all members to read the “case studies”.We urge members to be knowledgeable or at least be aware of medico-legal matters. Happy New Year.
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