Responding to Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA K. N. Balagopal during Question Hour, the minister acknowledged growing concerns over escalating medical bills, particularly at major hospitals attracting substantial investments from global private equity firms.
Muraleedharan said the government agreed in principle that private hospitals required greater regulation, especially as several healthcare institutions had come under the management of foreign companies.
He identified rising treatment charges, hospital room rents and medicine prices as major concerns, warning that increasing medical expenses were placing considerable financial pressure on patients and their families.
The minister also raised concerns about insurance companies refusing certain claims, leaving patients facing substantial financial liabilities even when they possessed medical insurance.
He confirmed that the proposed legislation would not be introduced during the ongoing Assembly session but would be presented during the next session.
The announcement provides a definite legislative timetable for an initiative outlined earlier this month, when the government disclosed plans to examine private hospital pricing and establish a regulatory framework.
A four-member committee headed by the Health Department Principal Secretary has been tasked with preparing recommendations for the proposed legislation.
Its other members are the Director of Health Services, Director of Medical Education and Managing Director of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited.
The committee will examine treatment charges across private healthcare institutions, including prices of medicines, diagnostic investigations, medical procedures and hospital accommodation.
Particular attention will be given to charges for laboratory examinations, CT scans, MRI scans and other diagnostic services that contribute significantly to overall hospital bills.
The government intends to introduce greater transparency in hospital billing, including provisions requiring patients to receive information about anticipated treatment expenses before procedures begin.
Hospitals may also be required to provide itemised bills clearly identifying individual services, medicines and procedures, enabling patients to understand the charges imposed.
The proposed framework will examine medicine procurement and retail pricing, including whether hospitals can supply medicines below their maximum retail prices.
Officials will also explore whether private hospitals could procure medicines through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation, potentially reducing purchasing costs and expenses passed on to patients.
Another area under examination concerns the possibility of extending government-sponsored health insurance arrangements to additional private hospitals, improving access to specialised treatment.
The committee is expected to consult private hospital managements and other stakeholders before finalising recommendations, allowing operating expenses and practical difficulties to be considered alongside patients’ interests.
The government has acknowledged that private hospitals provide important specialist services and contribute substantially to healthcare delivery. Its proposed intervention therefore seeks to address excessive charges without disregarding legitimate institutional costs.
Balagopal’s question highlighted the presence of international investment funds in the hospital sector and asked what measures would prevent mounting treatment costs from affecting households. The concerns were raised as a matter requiring government scrutiny, rather than proof that every foreign-backed hospital had imposed unreasonable charges.
Muraleedharan had said the Health Department was receiving complaints from people unable to meet hospital bills. The proposed legislation is intended to provide information about prices and safeguards against excessive charging, although its precise enforcement provisions have not been announced.
The committee’s remit extends beyond billing. It will also consider complaints involving deficiencies in treatment, medical errors, patient safety and accountability, with recommendations expected to address the quality and availability of services.
(The article ‘Private hospital charges Bill in next session’ appeared first on Free Press Journal.)
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