Centre Urges States to Enforce Hospital Rate Display

The Centre has directed states and Union Territories to ensure hospitals prominently display rates for their services and facilities. This move aims to enhance transparency in treatment costs and mitigate billing disputes, according to a letter from health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava to chief secretaries of all states and UTs.

The directive calls for a review of compliance with existing regulations, urging authorities to ensure rates are clearly visible and accessible to patients and their attendants. Rule 9 of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, mandates that hospitals covered by the law display service rates in a conspicuous place, in both the local language and English. The Act also stipulates that procedure and service charges should fall within rate ranges determined by the Centre in consultation with the states.

However, hospital representatives have raised concerns about implementation gaps. Dr. Dilip Bhanushali, former national president of the Indian Medical Association, questioned the compliance, noting that final bills can vary based on complications, hospital stay duration, additional procedures, medicines, and investigations. Dr. Girdhar J Gyani, director general of the Association of Healthcare Providers (India), confirmed that while hospitals generally display rates, the clause on rate ranges remains unimplemented due to unresolved costing issues. He added that the rules do not explicitly address hospitals' actual purchase costs for medicines, medical devices, and consumables, an issue also highlighted in a Karnataka government circular dated October 1.

What to watch: States' compliance with the directive and resolution of costing issues for rate ranges.

Editor's note: The draft accurately summarizes the directive and includes relevant expert commentary regarding the implementation challenges mentioned in the source.