Since most consumers are at the mercy of the hospital once the patient is admitted in an emergency.. a responsible sovereign should take steps to see the justice and fair play is followed. Even now a CAG like audit should be imposed on the billing systems in all major private hospitals. This audit should be as per ISO standards where incoming biils are matched with outgoing bills, patient wise.. All Billing which exceed a certain acceptable limit , should be red flagged and subject to both medical and financial audit.
https://thewire.in/health/covid-19-crisis-delhi-oxygen-dhli-hospital Jun 11, 2021 | Kavaljit Singh
COVID-19 Killed My Wife. Then Came a 19 Lakh Bill From a Hospital That Didn't Have a CT Scanner.
Thousands of patients have received inflated bills across the country. Our personal tragedy underscores the need to rethink India’s privately owned healthcare industry and restrain rampant profiteering.
Pandemic or not, protecting the health of citizens should be the priority of any government. The governments must ensure that citizens get affordable treatment and any unfair practices by private hospitals and other entities are curbed. Hence, our message to the Delhi government is clear: please exercise all powers at your disposal to curb undue profiteering practices carried out by private hospitals in the city.
After all, overcharging and other unfair practices by private hospitals are neither new nor accidental, but by design because of a combination of factors that include: weak regulatory framework, poor monitoring and enforcement of government orders, lack of transparency by private hospitals, and absence of a robust grievance redressal mechanism. With health being a state subject, the Delhi government is duty-bound to ensure responsible behaviour and accountability by private hospitals.
the Delhi government must regularly monitor the implementation of its June 2020 order by making surprise visits to the private hospitals and checking their billing records to determine whether or not the price caps for COVID-19 treatment are being implemented in letter and spirit.