Bill to regulate private hospital treatment costs; four-member panel to draft legislation: Minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government is preparing to introduce legislation to regulate excessive treatment costs in private hospitals. Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said the law would be brought in to prevent private hospitals from charging excessive rates to patients and to ensure transparency in treatment costs.

A four-member committee will be formed under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary of the Health Department to prepare the draft bill to be introduced in the Assembly. The Health Department Director, Director of Medical Education and Managing Director of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) will be the other members.

The committee has been tasked with consulting private hospitals and other stakeholders and submitting recommendations to reduce treatment costs and improve the quality of treatment, transparency, patient safety and availability of services.

The recommendations for the legislation will be prepared after a detailed examination of treatment costs, medicine prices, diagnostic test charges, room rent and charges for medical procedures and interventions.

“Private hospitals are an important presence in Kerala’s healthcare sector. However, some hospitals are exploiting poor people by charging excessive amounts. Many people approach us for help after receiving hospital bills they cannot afford. Excessive commercialisation of the healthcare sector cannot be accepted,” Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said.

Expected costs to be disclosed

The proposed measures will include:

• Patients should be informed of the expected treatment cost before treatment begins.
• Each item and its charge should be clearly mentioned in the bill.
• Transparency in medicine prices should be ensured.
• Medicines should be made available at prices lower than the maximum retail price (MRP).
• The possibility of extending government health insurance scheme services to private hospitals will also be examined.