Commonground
Senior Moderator
Saturday, Aug 29, 2009
Staff Reporter Bangalore: You heard the speech and now read the small print. After announcing free treatment for Influenza A(H1N1) patients in private hospitals, the State Government on Friday issued an order pegging the ceiling for testing, screening and treatment costs at Rs. 2,000.
If the bill amount is less than Rs. 2,000, the actual cost will be borne, the order stated.
Last Saturday, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had announced that the Government would bear the screening and treatment of A(H1N1) patients in private hospitals and had directed the latter not to turn away any patient.
Although Friday?s order ? with retrospective effect from August 22 ? does not specify how those who have availed themselves of the treatment will be reimbursed, it stated that patients classified in Category B and Category C will be screened, tested and treated for free with the upper cost limit being Rs. 2,000.
?The hospitals can submit bills of A(H1N1) patients to the State Joint Director (Communicable Diseases), who will verify them and release the payments,? the order said.
Explaining that the Government was already bearing the costs of tests and medicines (Tamiflu), which run up to Rs. 7,000, including the cost of reagents, Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) I.R. Perumal told The Hindu: ?We have reasonably fixed the amount at Rs. 2,000. We are already bearing the cost of testing at our labs (NIMHANS and KMC Manipal) apart from providing free Tamiflu capsules. As we are spending on the testing kits (100 kits cost Rs 1.35 lakh), we are sure the cost of swab collection and screening at the private hospitals will not go beyond Rs. 2,000.?
Asked about going back on the promise of free treatment, Mr. Perumal said: ?People who visit private hospitals can afford their treatment.
They might opt for air-conditioned rooms in hitech hospitals: the Government cannot bear all those expenses. The poor usually come to government hospitals where we are anyway providing free treatment.?
Joint Director (Communicable Diseases) T.S. Cheluvaraju said the modalities of reimbursing the bills were being worked out.
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/08/29/stories/2009082957370100.htm
Staff Reporter Bangalore: You heard the speech and now read the small print. After announcing free treatment for Influenza A(H1N1) patients in private hospitals, the State Government on Friday issued an order pegging the ceiling for testing, screening and treatment costs at Rs. 2,000.
If the bill amount is less than Rs. 2,000, the actual cost will be borne, the order stated.
Last Saturday, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had announced that the Government would bear the screening and treatment of A(H1N1) patients in private hospitals and had directed the latter not to turn away any patient.
Although Friday?s order ? with retrospective effect from August 22 ? does not specify how those who have availed themselves of the treatment will be reimbursed, it stated that patients classified in Category B and Category C will be screened, tested and treated for free with the upper cost limit being Rs. 2,000.
?The hospitals can submit bills of A(H1N1) patients to the State Joint Director (Communicable Diseases), who will verify them and release the payments,? the order said.
Explaining that the Government was already bearing the costs of tests and medicines (Tamiflu), which run up to Rs. 7,000, including the cost of reagents, Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) I.R. Perumal told The Hindu: ?We have reasonably fixed the amount at Rs. 2,000. We are already bearing the cost of testing at our labs (NIMHANS and KMC Manipal) apart from providing free Tamiflu capsules. As we are spending on the testing kits (100 kits cost Rs 1.35 lakh), we are sure the cost of swab collection and screening at the private hospitals will not go beyond Rs. 2,000.?
Asked about going back on the promise of free treatment, Mr. Perumal said: ?People who visit private hospitals can afford their treatment.
They might opt for air-conditioned rooms in hitech hospitals: the Government cannot bear all those expenses. The poor usually come to government hospitals where we are anyway providing free treatment.?
Joint Director (Communicable Diseases) T.S. Cheluvaraju said the modalities of reimbursing the bills were being worked out.
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/08/29/stories/2009082957370100.htm