NEW DELHI: The Centre will soon release a standardised hospital bill form applicable to all clinical establishments, including hospitals, nursing homes, and diagnostic centres.
This format will require them to provide a clear and itemised breakdown of all charges incurred by the patient to ensure complete transparency.
If the draft being worked out by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which initiated the process last year to standardise and enhance transparency in the billing process at all healthcare centres, gets a final thumbs up, it is likely to make hospital treatment more consumer centric.
The standard being worked on by the BIS, Union Health Ministry in consultation with the healthcare industry, patient advocacy groups and other stakeholders will help patients get itemised details for all consumables, services, facilities, etc.
The draft also prescribes the mandatory and optional elements to be included in hospital bills issued by healthcare facilities nationwide.
According to a top health ministry official, a standardised framework for hospital billing has become imperative.
“The aim of standardising billing formats across all healthcare facilities is to promote uniformity and reduce discrepancies in billing practices,” the official told this paper.
“By implementing the standard, healthcare providers can enhance patient trust, reduce billing-related grievances, and contribute to a more transparent and efficient healthcare ecosystem,” another official privy to the standards said.
The BIS which is under the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, set the ball rolling after a survey by LocalCircles, India’s leading community social media platform, found that most hospital visitors said they did not get itemised details for consumables, services, facilities, etc., in their hospital bills.
At the same time, many indicated that no details about the charges were mentioned in the bill.
Last year, the Supreme Court also pulled up the Centre for its apparent failure to specify a range of prices that private hospitals and clinical establishments can charge for various treatments and procedures.
In recent years, there have been widespread concerns about the lack of uniformity and clarity in hospital billing practices, leading to confusion, disputes, and a lack of accountability.
“To address these challenges and to promote a patient-centric approach, the need for a standardised framework for hospital billing has become imperative,” officials further added.
Apart from ensuring transparency in billing practices by mandating clear and detailed disclosure of all charges incurred by patients, the aim is also to provide a clear and itemised breakdown of charges to enable patients to understand the costs associated with treatment.
Such a standardised format will facilitate easy understanding for patients and stakeholders by adopting a consistent and user-friendly format.
The idea is also to ensure that every healthcare facility adheres to the same level of accountability and clarity.
According to official sources, summary of charges may include a clear and itemised breakdown of all charges like per day room rent, type of room, charges for doctor and specialist consultations, surgery charges, surgeon fees, anaesthesia charges, operation theatre (OT) charges, list of all diagnostic tests (blood tests, X-rays, MRIs).
It will also include charges for each test, list of medicines dispensed, quantity and price of each medicine, batch number and expiry date, medical consumables and disposables, items such as syringes, gloves, catheters, etc., quantity and price of each item, batch number and expiry date and nursing charges.
The optional elements are likely to be at the hospital's discretion and may include details like names, designation of attending doctors, breakdown of surgery/procedure charges, discounts or concessions, emergency contact details, blood group, or any other relevant medical information, and discounts or concessions.
The standard is also likely to emphasise that the bill be easily readable, with a large font size, generated in English and/or a local or regional language, and available in physical and digital formats.