Posers raised over Pvt hospitals for charging inflated fees
Source: The Sangai Express

Thoubal, September 29 2014 : A strong suspicion has been raised about some empanelled private hospitals charging medical fees higher than the rate fixed by the Central Government Hospital Service during treatment of Government employees.

A private medical centre/hospital which is one of the empanelled private hospitals has been charging its own rate as the hospital authority has not been informed by the Health Directorate whether it should follow the Central Government Hospital Service rate fixed in 2010 or the revised rate fixed in 2014 .

In addition to charging its own rate, fees for nursing care and other consumables which should be kept out of the reimbursement bill are added to the medical bill.

As per the Central Government Hospital Service, the private hospitals should charge only Rs 50 health examination at OPD.

But OPD ticket at these hospitals cost Rs 300 to Rs 400 .

If the Central Government Hospital Service rate is charged, medical fees for surgical removal of mole, appendix or gall bladder would be reduced by 50 per cent from the fees being charged by these private hospitals.

According to the agreement signed between the Health Department and empanelled private hospitals, the Central Government Hospital Service rate should be followed and the medical bill calculated at this rate should be reimbursed by the Government.

This benefit should be made available to all Government employees irrespective of their posts and ranks.

In contravention of this agreement, the said hospital has been charging Rs 500 for a bed in a deluxe room per patient per day, Rs 400 for nursing care, Rs 60 for consumables, Rs 300 for doctor round etc.

After charging all these fees and after the patient has been discharged, the medical reimbursement is initiated.

Another Rs 500 is charged as processing fee for medical reimbursement.

Thus, the hospital authority has been conveniently overlooking the Central Government Hospital Service rate.

In order to reflect the full amount of money taken from the patient, the medical (reimbursement) bill is manipulated in the form of charging deluxe room's charge when the patient actually stayed in general ward.

Then the patients were sent to seek medical reimbursement along with these manipulated bills.

This is an open act of deceit where the Government employees are forced to rob public money.

Although it is the Central Government Hospital Service rate fixed in 2010 which should apply to the private hospitals according to the agreement signed with the Health Department, there is understanding between the private hospitals and the Health Directorate to adopt the revised rate fixed in 2014 as the rate fixed in 2010 was too small.

Once the revised rate of 2014 is adopted, the same rate would be incorporated in a computer software and once this software is activated, hospital authorities would not be able to charge fees higher than the rate fixed by the Central Government Hospital Service, informed a source.

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