Steep private hospital costs and insurance hurdles, Covid not the only challenge for patients

Gurgaon: Getting Covid-19 with anything more than mild symptoms can be expensive. In Gurugram, while the three government hospitals do offer treatment at no cost, 25 private hospitals charge anything between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 a day. And this is just for patients who don’t need critical care.

“We are not charging any money for ICU or beds from patients who are being treated for Covid-19. That applies to all government hospitals,” said a doctor at ESIC Hospital in Sector 9, Gurgaon. In private hospitals, patients who have, at any point, gone in for treatment said they have to shell out just as much as they would at other times. That ranges from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 for a bed in an isolation ward and from Rs 13,000 to Rs 20,000 in the ICU. The final bill depends on how serious the case was.

Rajeev Arora, additional chief secretary (health), said hospitals will charge in keeping with existing rates. “But the state government will reimburse the expense under Ayushman Bharat.” A government directive about treatment of Covid-19 patients in private hospitals says the hospital should submit the bill to the civil surgeon from where the patient has been referred. Once the bill is verified, if the patient is a scheme beneficiary, payment will be approved.

Besides, while the state government has reiterated that Antyodaya Anna Yojna beneficiaries, freedom fighters and pension scheme beneficiaries will pay in line with the exemptions under these schemes — and that applies to private hospitals — patients are finding it difficult to get hospital bills settled by insurance companies.

“Dealing with insurance firms is tough when it comes to Covid treatment. They argue about the government policy about home isolation and question the decision to get hospitalised. We ended up paying the hospital bill,” said Sagar Kesari, a Gurgaon resident. “Besides, PPE and other equipment is not covered by the policy. People can end up paying Rs 3-4 lakh.”

A private hospital said the bill is sent to the insurance company for settlement and whatever they don’t pay is met by the patient. Insurance companies said they only go by policy. “The firm can only make a payment depending on policy. We cannot make a full payment all the time,” said a senior executive at a private general insurance company.

Vivek Kalia, estate officer (HSVP-II, Gurugram), who is in charge of monitoring availability of beds and hospitals in the city, said that private hospitals have been asked to submit cost of treatment. “We are streamlining the process.”

Source: The Times of India