Protecting the patient

The Medical Association of Malta would like to express surprise at certain comments made in a 'Talking Point' by Mr Pio Dalli of Laferla Insurance Agency Ltd in The Times of October 12 under the heading "Consultants' tariffs shooting up out of control".

Mr Dalli knows very well that it is perfectly legal and within every medical practitioner's rights to set his/her own fees. This is daily practice for all other professionals and tradesmen in Malta.

Clients of medical care have every opportunity to 'shop around' if they so wish as there is hardly one medical/surgical sub-specialty of which there is only one specialist. Moreover, Maltese patients have the readily available opportunity of opting to have any investigation/treatment done on the national health service without incurring any charge.

Notwithstanding the above, the MAM has agreed to enter into discussions with the Malta Insurers' Association health sector members regarding the updating of the MAM-BUPA agreement of 1997 in the hope of reaching agreement on a mutually acceptable balance between doctors' fees and insurers' benefit maxima.

This should benefit mostly the patients who happen to be the clients of both categories. The MAM has been very correct and has in no way commented on the ongoing discussions with the MIA's health insurers' section. Doctors and insurers are to some extent in the same boat, and the MAM knows very well that only if insurances remain profitable will they remain in the market, and thus continue to contribute considerably to doctors' income. It is unthinkable that anyone would try to kill the goose which lays the golden egg.

Mr Dalli must be aware of these ongoing negotiations. MAM was confident a new agreement with all health insurers would be reached in the near future. Hopefully, this will be honoured by Laferla Insurance Agency Limited as well. However, one must make public the fact that in November 1999, LAIL had unilaterally informed its clients and doctors in Malta that it was reducing its schedule of benefit maxima and that it would be considering any doctors' fees which were higher than its own benefit maxima as "not fair and reasonable".

This was done without any consultation with the medical profession. For this reason, the comments made by Mr Dalli are both inopportune and badly timed.

It would however be very welcome if Mr Dalli were to advise LAIL's clients once again that his company will provide less cover than its competitors rather than spring surprises on them when they come to settle their claims.

One hopes however that it was not Mr Dalli's intention to put the blame of his clients' disappointment at having to fork out any shortfalls on the medical profession.

Indeed, let us improve our set-up constructively so as to protect the patient rather than gun it down with inopportune and generalised negative comments in the media on the whole medical profession.

Dr Zerafa is chairman, Consultant Subcommittee, Medical Association of Malta