Cost of medical report - who pays?

This letter was printed in the Straits Times Forum.

Some consumers have to pay $90 or more to get a medical report that is usually required by another party, e.g. the insurance company, employer or for National Service deferment.

I suggest that the government should make it clear that the cost of these requirements should be borne by the party that needs the report, and not the consumer.

These big organisations that ask for the medical report are in a better position to negotiate down the fee for the medical report, or to change their requirements to reduce the cost of the report. They should not impose expensive requirements to be borne by the hapless consumers.

Tan Kin Lian