New Delhi: In order to make healthcare affordable, a parliamentary panel has recommended that a private hospital room in any metropolitan city should not cost more than the average tariff of a three-star hotel room in its vicinity.
The standing committee report has been titled as “Affordability and Accessibility of Healthcare Facilities in Public and Private Sector.” It mentions that the room charges in private hospitals need to be rationalised on an “emergent basis”, cites a HT report.
On Aug 7, the report was presented in the Rajya Sabha. It was also tabled in Lok Sabha on the same day.
Resident doctor, nursing, disposable consumable, meal and laundry costs may be added to the room base tariff, the report recommends.
It also suggests that the government mandates all tertiary care hospitals to provide patients with a comprehensive and legally binding upfront cost estimate before starting any complex medical intervention.
Hospitals should also deploy dedicated financial navigators to help patients and their families understand treatment costs.
The committee noted that households continue to face significant financial stress while accessing private healthcare.
The report also shows medical inflation of 10-13 per cent and differential billing practices associated with room categories.
The panel recommended eliminating room-rent-linked inflation models. This was recommended for standard procedures across private hospitals.
