‘Rate cards to make healthcare more transparent’

The next time you need to undergo a knee replacement or a cataract procedure, you might want to look up the charges at different hospitals in the city before deciding.  So far, 16 hospitals out of the 36 NABH-accredited hospitals in the city have put up the charges vis-a-vis room rates, procedure details, etc. BG Menon, MD, ACME Consulting, which aims to show the way for hospitals to follow the rule, said, “The NABH requires hospitals to be transparent, and rates and charges too come under the ambit. 

We have been focusing on hospitals in Chennai. We have 16 accredited hospitals putting up the indicative cost details on their website.” He adds that the idea is to find a solution for the fluctuating rates. He said, “The rates increase by 1520 per cent every year. For instance, the cost of a bypass surgery, has doubled over the past few years. 

The objective is to bring about a stability in the rates.” Menon also said that by end of the year more hospitals will join the list and that bigger ones needed time to put together the numbers. Some of the hospitals that have already implemented the rule are Kumaran Hospitals, Udhi Eye Hospital, Uma Eye Clinic, etc. Talking to DTNext, Dr Arulmozhi Varman, Medical Director, Uma Eye Clinic, welcomed the rule, adding that in Kerala, all hospitals displayed the rates on a board for the convenience of patients. However, he added, “It is not possible to put up all the rates and some numbers might change due to extra costs. 

Nonetheless, this is a great way to facilitate transparency in the health system.” Encouraging the move, Dr Girdhar Gyani, Director General, Association of Healthcare Providers, India, who was instrumental in setting up NABH, said this move would help hospitals deliberate on their rates in a logical manner. He says, “It’s a matter of concern that in India, no one knows what the actual cost of a procedure is. Another impediment is that people do not budget adequately for health needs and emergencies, like how they do for education. Given these conditions, bringing about transparency should be a step in the right direction.”