COIMBATORE: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Coimbatore branch, is gathering suggestions and feedback from hospitals and healthcare professionals to design a standard hospital billing procedure.
Officials have said that this framework will soon be established as a standard nationwide and may become mandatory if healthcare providers request it.
Concerns about the inconsistency and lack of clarity in hospital billing practices have been widespread, leading to confusion, disputes, and difficulties in accountability. The absence of uniform billing patterns often results in unclear charges, complicating auditing processes and insurance claims.
The BIS's initiative to standardise billing formats across all healthcare facilities aims to promote uniformity and reduce discrepancies. By unifying billing practices from small clinics to corporate hospitals and including diagnostic services, the BIS hopes to establish a transparent and hassle-free billing system that benefits both healthcare providers and patients," said G Bhavani, Senior Director of BIS Coimbatore Branch.
As part of their "Manak Manthan" initiative, the BIS Coimbatore branch hosted a technical discussion to gather requirements and recommendations for the hospital bill format. Many healthcare professionals, including IMA and academicians, participated in the event, offering valuable suggestions to refine this initiative.
Senior Director Bhavani said that once the standard is established, it will be applied uniformly across all facilities, and if requested by healthcare providers, the government may also make it mandatory. "If it becomes a mandatory practice, unnecessary confusion regarding billing patterns will be eliminated," she added.
A Arivazhagan, Joint Director of the BIS, Coimbatore branch, explained that the draft includes a common structure for both summary and itemised hospital bills. "The summary of charges will provide a clear, itemised breakdown of all expenses, such as daily room rent, type of room, consultation fees for doctors and specialists, surgery costs, operation theatre (OT) costs, and a comprehensive list of all diagnostic tests with individual test charges," he stated.
"This common billing pattern will assist patients in obtaining reimbursements, as many claim settlements face obstacles due to a lack of information on bills. The healthcare professionals who participated in the discussion provided valuable suggestions, including a request for clear specifications on 'miscellaneous charges' often listed on hospital bills. These suggestions will be forwarded to the BIS technical committee responsible for framing the standards," Arivazhagan said.
