The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the significant variation in the prices of medical treatments across government and private healthcare facilities. The Court criticized the Central Government for its failure to enforce the 14-year-old Clinical Establishment (Central Government) Rules during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by the non-profit organization Veterans Forum for Transparency in Public Life.
The PIL urged the central government to establish a regulated fee structure for patients in accordance with Rule 9 of the Clinical Establishment (Central Government) Rules, 2012. This rule mandates all registered medical facilities to transparently display their service charges for patients in local vernacular and English, ensuring that the pricing is within the range outlined by the central government in consultation with state governments.
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The Court observed that despite numerous correspondences with state governments, seeking their cooperation, the central government had received no responses. In response, the Supreme Court emphasized that providing affordable healthcare is a fundamental right of citizens and ruled that the central government cannot evade its responsibility. The Union health secretary has been instructed to convene a meeting with health secretaries of all states to ensure that standard rates are notified within a month. The Court warned that if the Union government fails to find a solution, it will consider the petitioner’s plea for implementing CGHS-prescribed standardized rates.
Tapan Singhel, Chairman of the General Insurance Council (GI-Council), expressed support for the Supreme Court’s move, stating, “It is very encouraging to see the Apex court urging the Centre to take a decision on standard hospital rates. We feel that this, along with ‘Cashless Everywhere,’ will eventually benefit our citizens, for whom it’s a fundamental right to receive good healthcare.”
A member of the GIC, speaking anonymously, revealed that two provider meetings were held, where discussions and deliberations with hospitals and representatives of hospital associations took place. The recently launched ‘Cashless Everywhere’ initiative is seen as a positive step, although some hospitals expressed apprehension about it. The member explained that hospitals supporting this initiative could potentially see more patients, creating a win-win situation.
Addressing a related concern, the member highlighted the lack of a regulator for hospitals, emphasizing the need for an entity that serves as the voice of the customer. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) has urged the National Health Authority (NHA), insurers, and DFS to collaborate on exploring the possibility of establishing a health regulator to ensure standardization in treatment quality, service, provision of cashless facilities, and convenience for patients
