

Govt mulls standardized fees for doctors, basic medical procedures
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: Relief may be in sight for those weary of steep doctor fees and billing discrepancies at private hospitals. India is looking to regulate fees for consultation and common medical procedures at private healthcare facilities with range-bound limits, said two government officials in the know.
The move, which aims to bring greater transparency and ease citizens' healthcare costs, is set to face pushback from sections of the medical community.The proposal being discussed involves amending the Clinical Establishment Act 2010 to provide the government more enforcement power to act against non-compliance and mandate range-bound consultation fees, depending on the practitioner's qualifications.The health ministry is currently mapping the cost of these services across different tiers of cities, said the officials.While the primary focus is on outpatient department (OPD) fees, the plan is to also standardize the rates for common inpatient procedures such as cataract and caesarian section surgeries, the officials said.They said that the government plans to use the Clinical Establishment Act’s current provisions that call for a "range of rates" to be fixed by the Centre in consultation with the states. With these measures, the government aims to curb unethical practices and ensure quality healthcare becomes more accessible to a broader segment of the population, particularly the middle- and lower-income groups, who are most vulnerable.This move on standardization of healthcare charges assumes significance for India’s 43,486 private healthcare facilities and 1.38 million doctors, as per data from the Association of Healthcare Providers in India and the National Medical Commission.India's
. Read on livemint.com