₹1 crore refunded to patients overcharged for Covid treatment at private hospitals

The bills were audited to ensure that private hospitals charge patients as per the price cap set by the state government

PUNE The civic administration has helped refund ₹1 crore to at least 140 patients who had complained of excessive charges by private hospitals in the city for Covid-19 and mucormycosis treatment.

Pune, India - June 19, 2020: A health worker of Pune district council prepares for swab collection at a Covid-19 swab collection center in BJS hostel, Wagholi in Pune, India, on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Photo by Pratham Gokhale/Hindustan Times) (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

Patients who lodged complaints were refunded the amount after the civic body issued notices to the hospitals. The administration also audited bills issued to patients who underwent Covid treatment. The bills were audited to ensure that private hospitals charge patients as per the price cap set by the state government.

Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) assistant health officer said, “We were able to recover ₹1 crore and reimburse 142 Covid-19 patients, as of March 28. We have been following up on this since the second wave when there was a drastic demand for beds. We also sent out multiple notices to private hospitals. When these hospitals failed to respond, we issued show cause notices as well. We first sent out a notice, then a reminder letter and then a final notice was sent. The final show cause notice was signed by the additional commissioner, stating that if they fail to respond we might even cancel their license for six months, which we had done previously in case of a hospital, during the lockdown.”

Post the second Covid-19 wave which peaked in April 2021, the rate of admission was high. Despite the state government’s price cap, private hospitals overcharged the patients. The state government had instructed the district authorities to audit every Covid-19 patient’s bill and ensure that the hospital does not overcharge the patient. Despite this, 20 private hospitals were found to be overcharging patients, said officials.

Dr Naik further added, “ These hospitals have charged ₹5.95 crore in bills to the patients undergoing treatment for Covid-19, out of which, as per the price cap set by the state government, the bill should have been ₹4.95 crore, and so we were able to reimburse ₹1 crore to these patients.”