BHUBANESWAR: Private and corporate hospitals cannot charge more than Rs 4,750 per day per isolation bed, Rs 17,000 per ICU bed and Rs 18,000 for ventilator use while treating Covid-19 patients, the State Government has ordered. A week after allowing private and corporate hospitals to admit Covid-19 patients on their own, the State Government on Friday announced price caps on treatment at such facilities.
The Government has clubbed the cost of treatment on par with those provided to the private entities who have established and operating the dedicated Covid hospitals (DCHs) and dedicated Covids health centres (DCHCs) on PPP mode. The Government had from the beginning of the outbreak decided to provide Covid-19 treatment at DCHs and DCHCs set up in association with private hospitals so that the State-run health institutions are free for general patients.
As decided, the DCHs and DCHCs will be reimbursed at a rate of Rs 2,950 to Rs 18,000 per day per patient depending on severity of the disease and use of medical equipment. For the patients with no or mild symptoms lodged in Covid Care Centres (CCCs), the private entities cannot charge more than Rs 2000 per patient per day.
The decision for standardising the treatment cost was taken following disputes over billing by the private hospitals operating the dedicated Covid facilities leading to delay in reimbursements. The Government has fixed the charges for isolation beds and ICU facilities with and without ventilators. The treatment costs include PPEs, which play a key role in adding to the medical bill. P7
As per the new price chart, a DCH or DCHC will now charge Rs 1,200 to Rs 3,000 per day for a general isolation bed irrespective of bed occupancy and Rs 1,750 for other consumables, including Rs 500 for PPE, Rs 300 for medicines, Rs 250 for hospital consumables, Rs 240 for food, Rs 200 each for investigation and laundry and Rs 60 for sanitiser.
For patients in ICU without ventilator support, they will be paid Rs 14,000 to Rs 17,000, which include Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 for isolation bed and Rs 12,000 for consumables comprising for medicines, PPE, investigations along with food, laundry and sanitiser.
The hospitals can raise bill ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 for ICU with ventilator. The costs include Rs 2,000 to Rs 5000 for bed and Rs 13,000 for consumables. The cost of treatment in CCCs has been fixed at Rs 2,000, including Rs 1,000 for bed and Rs 1,000 for consumables.
Additional Chief Secretary of Health department PK Mohapatra said the price was capped following the recommendation of a technical team of SCB Medical College and Hospital after verifying the cost incurred for treatment of patients.
“The price chart is also applicable for the corporate hospitals and other private units which are treating Covid patients. Action as per the Clinical Establishment Act will be taken against them if they charge more than that,” Mohapatra warned.
The ACS has directed all health authorities, district Collectors, Municipal Commissioners and chief district medical officers to reimburse the cost of consumables cost as per the approved rate.
Meanwhile, the Government has constituted supervising teams consisting of technical experts to inspect and asses the quality of medical care and management of Covid hospitals.