Centre wants nation's hospitals to display treatment charges

New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has directed states and Union territories to ensure hospitals and clinics prominently display their service charges, seeking to improve transparency amid growing concerns over expensive treatment and hefty markups on medicines and medical consumables, The Indian Express reported.

Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava has urged authorities to review compliance with existing regulations and take steps to ensure healthcare establishments disclose their rates effectively.

Under Section 9 of the Clinical Establishments Rules, healthcare facilities in the 19 states and Union territories that have implemented the Clinical Establishments Act must display charges for different services and available facilities in prominent locations, in both English and the local language.

States and Union territories where the Act has not been implemented, including Delhi, have been asked to enforce similar requirements through their existing regulatory frameworks.

The ministry said transparent pricing would help patients and their attendants understand anticipated treatment expenses, make informed decisions and plan healthcare spending. It could also reduce billing disputes and improve trust in the healthcare system.

Foreign patient packages are also under scrutiny

Hospitals have also been asked to display treatment package rates for foreign patients visiting India on medical or Ayush visas, wherever applicable. The move aims to help international patients compare costs and avoid pricing-related complaints.

The directive comes amid criticism of corporate hospital chains over rising treatment costs and substantial markups on medicines and consumables. Activists have also questioned the growing consolidation of hospitals, pharmacies, diagnostic centres and insurance businesses under common corporate ownership, arguing that such arrangements could create financial incentives for patients to use services within the same network.

While the ministry's initiative seeks to enforce existing disclosure rules, concerns remain over whether greater price transparency alone can address the wider problem of healthcare affordability.