The stand-off between health ministry and certain private hospitals over fixing of rates and the payment for various surgical procedures and treatment has left CGHS beneficiaries in a real fix. With several big hospitals stopping the cashless facility till the issue is resolved, the beneficiaries are left to fend for themselves.
Health ministry data states that 24 of 407 private hospitals empanelled under the CGHS have decided 'unilaterally' to discontinue the credit facility. This list includes eight Delhi hospitals like Fortis Vasant Kunj, National Heart Institute, Delhi Heart and Lung Institute. An official from Moolchand Hospital, south Delhi said that their bills are pending too but they are continuing the cashless facility.
As the profit margins are less, patients claim that many hospitals, which are officially on the CGHS panel, refuse admission to beneficiaries after citing non-availability of bed.
"The CGHS patients are back to 1970s when cashless treatment was only available in government hospitals. Then, almost everyone flocked to AIIMS and Safdarjung," said Narayan Dutt (name changed on request) who retired from the home ministry two years ago.
Under the facility, the CGHS beneficiaries could simply go to any of the empanelled private hospitals for treatment and the payment would be claimed by the hospital directly from government. The discontinuation of this facility has resulted in many patients being forced to pay from their own pockets. The beneficiaries also claim that the reimbursements from CGHS are tedious.
Girdhar Gyani, director general of the Association of Health Providers of India (AHPI) said that some hospitals have been forced to discontinue cashless facility due to long-pending bills. "The CGHS has not been clearing due bills. Delayed payments affect the cash flow. Also, we are demanding a revision in the rates fixed by CGHS for various procedures and room tariffs to sustain ourselves," he said.
To this, a senior official said, "The health ministry has already taken steps for clearing the pending bills on a priority basis, and it is almost cleared. As far as revision of rates is concerned, the tendering process for it has been completed."
Health ministry data states that 24 of 407 private hospitals empanelled under the CGHS have decided 'unilaterally' to discontinue the credit facility. This list includes eight Delhi hospitals like Fortis Vasant Kunj, National Heart Institute, Delhi Heart and Lung Institute. An official from Moolchand Hospital, south Delhi said that their bills are pending too but they are continuing the cashless facility.
As the profit margins are less, patients claim that many hospitals, which are officially on the CGHS panel, refuse admission to beneficiaries after citing non-availability of bed.
"The CGHS patients are back to 1970s when cashless treatment was only available in government hospitals. Then, almost everyone flocked to AIIMS and Safdarjung," said Narayan Dutt (name changed on request) who retired from the home ministry two years ago.
Under the facility, the CGHS beneficiaries could simply go to any of the empanelled private hospitals for treatment and the payment would be claimed by the hospital directly from government. The discontinuation of this facility has resulted in many patients being forced to pay from their own pockets. The beneficiaries also claim that the reimbursements from CGHS are tedious.
Girdhar Gyani, director general of the Association of Health Providers of India (AHPI) said that some hospitals have been forced to discontinue cashless facility due to long-pending bills. "The CGHS has not been clearing due bills. Delayed payments affect the cash flow. Also, we are demanding a revision in the rates fixed by CGHS for various procedures and room tariffs to sustain ourselves," he said.
To this, a senior official said, "The health ministry has already taken steps for clearing the pending bills on a priority basis, and it is almost cleared. As far as revision of rates is concerned, the tendering process for it has been completed."
Source:-The Times of India
No comments:
Post a Comment