Bengaluru Urban district’s grievance redressal authority has directed 14 hospitals to refund Rs 81 lakh that they had billed excess and collected from patients. Several such cases involved patients with COVID-19.

These cases were among the 44 complaints of excess billing and medical negligence that were received by the authority since March, 2021. Twenty three complaints among these were related to COVID-19 patients who had contracted the infection during the second wave and 27 complaints were related excess billing. Of these 27, three were from non-COVID patients.

Most of these cases, which were registered under provisions of Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Act, have been resolved. In some of the cases, the hospitals were found not to be at a fault. 

The cases also involved overbilling issues of patients admitted under government quota in private hospitals. Overall, 81 such cases were reported from across the state. J Manjunath, deputy commissioner, Bengaluru Urban district, stated that some families complained that they were charged more than what had been prescribed by the government.

Some complaints stated that due care was not taken. Manjunath added that in some cases, the patients’ families complained of issues with information dissemination from the hospital on the health of the patient. Some complainants were about delay in handing over bodies to relatives.

The committee conducted meetings with the involved private hospitals and heard their version. Manjunath mentioned that in cases where patients were billed above the price cap, hospitals have agreed to refund the amount.

In certain other cases, the hospitals were found to have acted appropriately. Manjunath mentioned a case where a patient was admitted to a hospital for 203 days. He was billed Rs 52 lakh. His insurance covered a part of the bill and the family paid Rs 8 lakh. The hospital waived the remaining amount of Rs 41 lakh.

In some cases, patients treated for non-COVID issues in government hospitals complained that they had to buy medicines from outside while the government supplies drugs free to hospitals. Dr Srinivasa SG, district health officer, Bengaluru Urban stated that the hospital authorities were asked about the same and they have compensated the amount paid by the patients.

Dr HM Prasanna, President, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), said that they don’t support hospitals that violate government norms. Hospitals must follow the price caps when billing COVID patients. 

Source: ET Healthworld