In a good news for lakhs of
beneficiaries under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), the Government
is in the process of revising the rates of medical procedures offered by
empanelled hospitals and diagnostic centres and giving them early payment
assurance to encourage more medical institutions join the scheme.
The Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare has floated e-tenders for empanelment of hospitals and decided that the
rates of various medical procedures would be fixed by an average of rates
quoted in e-tenders instead of the old system where the lowest quotation became
the rate.
Rates of all medical procedure
centres under CGHS would be revised by April next year.
Not just that, the Government is
also revising its policy by providing empanelled hospitals assured upfront
payment of 70 per cent of the total bill within five days of its presentation
and balance admissible amount within a maximum period of 30 days.
The direction for a 10 per cent
deduction in case of early/cash payment to hospitals under CGHS has also been
done away with, highly-placed sources in the Ministry told PTI.
"These measures will put an end
to the problems of delayed payments which discourage hospitals from getting
empanelled under the scheme," a Health Ministry official said.
Under the new policy finalised by
the Ministry, the category of super specialty hospitals empanelled under the
CGHS has also been done away with.
"Now, hospitals, exclusive eye
hospitals/centres, exclusive dental clinics and diagnostic centres shall be
empanelled for all facilities available in the health care organisation as
approved by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals/National Accreditation
Board for Labs and the Quality Council of India and shall not be empanelled for
selected specialities/facilities," the new policy says.
The changes will help rope in more
hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres under the CGHS as many renowned and
big hospitals were shying away from being empanelled under the scheme due to
pending payments and low rates for medical procedures.
Sources said payments of bills
amounting to around Rs 100 crore of private hospitals are pending with the
government under CGHS alone, even though hospitals are crying hoarse that
pending payments are to the tune of over Rs 400 crore.
Officials, however, say this huge
amount is not pending under CGHS and it may include payments under ECHS, ESI
and health bills of other big departments like Delhi Police and others.
