Kerala moves to regulate private hospital treatment costs; four-member panel to draft Bill

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government is planning legislation to regulate treatment costs at private hospitals across the state and ensure greater transparency in billing, Health and Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan said.

A four-member committee headed by the Health Department Principal Secretary will be formed to draft the Bill for introduction in the Legislative Assembly. The panel will include the Director of Health Services, the Director of Medical Education, and the Managing Director of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL).

The committee will consult private hospitals and other stakeholders and examine charges for medicines, diagnostic tests, CT and MRI scans, room rent and medical procedures. It will also recommend measures to improve healthcare quality, patient safety and access while keeping treatment costs affordable.

The proposed framework will require private hospitals to inform patients of expected costs before treatment, provide itemised bills, and ensure transparency in medicine pricing. The government will also examine mechanisms to ensure medicines are sold to patients at prices below the maximum retail price (MRP) and bring transparency to hospitals' purchase and sale prices.

The panel will also assess the possibility of extending government health insurance schemes to more private hospitals.

Muraleedharan said the government recognises the role of private hospitals in Kerala's healthcare sector but wants to keep treatment costs affordable. He said the proposed regulations would consider hospitals' operating costs while protecting patients' interests.