KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 -- The Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised concerns over private hospital billing practices and pricing structures, warning that they are contributing to rising medical inflation and higher insurance premiums.

In a report tabled in Parliament, the bipartisan panel said private hospital billing systems lack transparency and may not accurately reflect actual costs, with medicines and supplies reportedly marked up by as much as 300 per cent to cross-subsidise operational expenses.

The inquiry was launched following public complaints over steep increases in medical insurance premiums, which reportedly rose between 40 and 70 per cent in recent cycles, prompting some policyholders to drop coverage and turn ...