NEW DELHI: Centre has asked states and UTs to ensure hospitals prominently display rates for their services and facilities to improve transparency in treatment costs and reduce billing disputes. The directive comes even as hospital representatives question gaps in implementation.In a letter to chief secretaries of all states and UTs, health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava called for a review of compliance with applicable regulations and urged authorities to ensure rates are clearly visible and accessible to patients and attendants.Rule 9 of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, requires hospitals covered by the law to display service rates at a conspicuous place, in the local language and English. It also provides for procedure and service charges to fall within rate ranges determined by the Centre in consultation with the states.“Display of hospital rates was enforced long back, but the compliance?” questioned Dr Dilip Bhanushali, former national president of Indian Medical Association. He said the final bill could vary depending on complications, duration of hospital stay, additional procedures, medicines and investigations.

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Dr Girdhar J Gyani, director general of Association of Healthcare Providers (India), said hospitals follow the provision on displaying rates, but the clause on rate ranges remains unimplemented because costing has not been worked out.He added that the rules do not expressly refer to hospitals’ actual purchase costs for medicines, medical devices and consumables, an issue raised in a Karnataka govt circular dated Oct 1.