Following the High Court's displeasure about its decision to allow private hospitals to charge as they please for independent rooms providing COVID-19 treatment, the Kerala Government has fixed maximum rates for various types of rooms in private hospitals set apart for Covid patients.
As per the new rates, which has been approved by the High Court on Thursday, even a big hospital with more than 300 beds cannot charge more than Rs 9,776 a day for a private A/C room or a suite.
Maximum rates for hospitals with less than 100 beds
For ordinary hospitals not accredited by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH): Rs 2645 (general ward), Rs 2724 (non A/C double room), Rs 3174 (A/C double), Rs 3703 (non A/C single room), Rs 5290 (A/C single).
For NABH accredited hospitals: Rs 2910 (general ward), Rs 2997 (non A/C double room), Rs 3491 (A/C double), Rs 4073 (non A/C single room), Rs 5819 (A/C single).
Maximum rates for hospitals with 100-300 beds
For ordinary hospitals not accredited by the NABH: Rs 2645 (general ward), Rs 3678 (non A/C double room), Rs 4285 (A/C double), Rs 4999 (non A/C single room), Rs 7142 (A/C single).
For NABH accredited hospitals: Rs 2910 (general ward), Rs 4046 (non A/C double room), Rs 4713 (A/C double), Rs 5499 (non A/C single room), Rs 7856 (A/C single).
Maximum rates for hospitals with more than 300 beds
For ordinary hospitals not accredited by the NABH: Rs 2645 (general ward), Rs 4577 (non A/C double room), Rs 5332 (A/C double), Rs 6221 (non A/C single room), Rs 8887 (A/C single).
For NABH accredited hospitals: Rs 2910 (general ward), Rs 5035 (non A/C double room), Rs 5866 (A/C double), Rs 6843 (non A/C single room), Rs 9776 (A/C single).
The general ward rates for ordinary hospitals and those accredited by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) are the same as those prescribed in a government order issued on May 10. The ICU rates for both the categories were also given in the May 10 order.
A bed in a general ward in a high dependency unit (HDU) should not cost more than Rs 3,795 a day; in an NABH-accredited hospital, the daily charge can go up to Rs Rs 4,175.
If admitted to the ICU, the rate would be Rs 7,800 a day at the most; in an NABH-accredited hospital, it can go up to Rs Rs 8,580 a day. If ventilator support is also given in the ICU, the maximum a patient could be charged is Rs 13,800 a day; the same in an NABH-accredited hospital would be Rs 15,180 a day.
Any imposition above the newly prescribed rates would be penalised at 10 times the extra cost extracted from the patient, the May 10 order had said.
Also, the room charges included registration charges, bed charges, nursing charges, charges of surgeons, anaesthetists, medical practitioners and consultants, anaesthesia, blood transfusion, oxygen, medicines and drugs, pathology and radiology tests including radiological imaging and diagnostic tests such as X-ray, USG, haematology, pathology, etc.
However, the High Court suspended the implementation of the order on the ground that it allowed private hospitals to arbitrarily decide the rates of private rooms and suites they operate.
