SINGAPORE (Mar 13): UOB KayHian is maintaining Raffles Medical Group at "buy" given it sees limited impact on the stock from changes in insurance co-pay terms for new policies.
With immediate effect, new insurance policies with riders or existing policyholders buying a new rider will need to eventually pay at least 5% of his hospital bill. However, the amount the policyholder needs to pay can be capped at $3,000/year although insurers can set a higher threshold. The $3,000 cap would only apply if patients are treated by doctors on the insurers’ panel.
UOB says there would be limited impact on Raffles Medical as its practice model allows doctors to focus on patients' health rather than profitability. There is also medical fee transparency for its treatment. More importantly, all in-patient treatment and operations are subject to a peer review by a panel of medical doctors.
