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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Bengal assembly passes bill that requires hospitals to display charges
KOLKATA: The West Bengal assembly on Tuesday passed the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) (Amendment) Bill, 2025 which requires clinical establishments to 'prominently display fixed rates and package charges at a conspicuous place within the facility' to bring transparency into the functioning of clinical establishments. The bill also proposes to make it mandatory for all private hospitals and nursing homes to 'maintain electronic medical records for each patient through approved software'. The bill also said that proper estimates of all treatment charges, which do not fall within the ambit of packages and fixed charges, must be provided to the patient's family before treatment commences. 'Every clinical establishment shall strictly follow the fixed rates and charges, including the package rates, for investigation, bed charges, operation theatre procedures,' the bill passed by the assembly said. Minister of state for health Chandrima Bhattacharya introduced the bill in the assembly on Tuesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, faulted the bill, saying it should have had provisions for the safety and security of doctors and nurses in the hospitals. 'It seems that the state government hasn't learnt any lesson from the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case. The bill has nothing on safety and security of doctors and nurses. This bill may suit the bigger hospitals in the cities but not the small establishments in the districts. Where is the infrastructure in smaller private hospitals and nursing homes in the districts for e-prescriptions and e-budget? This will force more patients to go out of the state for medical treatment,' Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the opposition, told reporters. Hospital associations welcomed the legislation, saying it would bring transparency in bills and treatment costs. 'It is a very good initiative. It would bring more transparency and do away with the misunderstanding about packages and treatment costs. But we also have to keep in mind that medical treatment is very dynamic. In many cases, it doesn't follow a set pattern. So, if the treatment costs exceed the package costs, it should be reviewed unbiasedly and scientifically,' Rupak Barua, managing director and chief executive officer of Woodlands Hospital and president of the Association of Hospitals of Eastern India, said in a video message.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
New law to curb hosp bill inflation, make treatment cost display must
Kolkata: The state govt on Monday moved a bill in the assembly mandating that private hospitals and nursing homes should not inflate their fixed treatment rates, including packages, with hidden charges. The bill also states that for treatment costs not covered under fixed rates, including packages, patients' families must be clearly informed of the possible costs, and any increase must be communicated within 24 hours. The bill will be debated in the assembly on Tuesday. The bill mandates that rates must be properly displayed so that they are "visible" to all in the private hospitals, and also on the hospital websites. The West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) (Amendment) Bill 2025 was moved by finance minister, also the junior health minister, Chandrima Bhattacharya in the state assembly. It states, "Every clinical establishment shall strictly follow the fixed rates and charges, including the package rates, for investigation, bed charges, operation theatre procedures." The bill also clearly mandates that private hospitals shall ensure that "intensive care, ventilation, implants, consultation and similar tests and procedures, and any additional treatment or procedure shall not attract additional charges over and above such fixed rates and charges, including packages". It goes a step further and states that proper estimates of all normal treatment charges, which do not fall within the ambit of fixed charges and packages, must be provided to the patients' families before treatment commences, and the final costs should not exceed a percentage decided by the Bengal govt. Any subsequent increase, the bill states, must be informed within 24 hours, including the subject-wise breakdown. The bill also proposes to make e-prescriptions mandatory and asks private hospitals to maintain long-term electronic medical records of patients, including treatment details, discharge summaries, and prescriptions. It also states that an officer not below the assistant director of health services will now be a registering authority for private hospitals and nursing homes. However, it also puts a 90-day cap on the regulating authority to dispose of applications for fresh licences or renewals, specifying the reasons for acceptance or rejection. The bill states that on the penal provisions, IPC will be replaced with BNS and CrPC will be replaced with BNSS. Rupak Barua, president of the Association of Hospitals of Eastern India and CEO of Woodlands Multispecialty Hospital, said, "The bill is a right move to bring about transparency and clarity in hospital bills. We are ready to display the charges, for it will help patients' families get a clear idea about the possible expenses. But it must be remembered that treatment is a dynamic process and depends on the physical condition of the patient. It could change from time to time, necessitating additional measures, procedures, medicines, and may even force hospitals to shift a patient from a normal ward to the ICU. This could lead to a significant change in the charges and result in a bill which is higher than what the patients' families anticipated. This has been happening frequently in the case of patients admitted under packages. So, the process has to be flexible and take these factors into account. But we are ready to make a start, and charges should be displayed."
