Gurgaon: Are patients covered under govt health schemes being charged according to prescribed treatment rates? The matter has come into sharp focus, with 34 empanelled private hospitals in the city having been asked to submit treatment bills and discharge records for verification following a Punjab and Haryana High Court order.The civil surgeon’s letter — sent to the hospitals — to this effect cites HC as having directed the director general of health services (DGHS) — either directly or through authorised civil surgeons — to verify package rates at all empanelled hospitals and take corrective measures wherever violations are found. The exercise follows a May 5 judgment in a case dating back to 2023. HC was hearing the civil writ petition filed by Hukam Singh against Haryana govt. The case (Hukam Singh vs State of Haryana) involved the 85-year-old retired Haryana govt employee — Hukam Singh — who was treated for a heart condition at Paras Hospital in Panchkula in April 2023 and received a bill of Rs 7.4 lakh. He challenged the reimbursement, alleging that the hospital had charged separately for medicines, consumables and medical devices that should have been covered under the govt-approved treatment package. On May 5, HC directed the state to reimburse his entire bill with 6% interest and ordered the health department to verify whether all empanelled private hospitals were following govt-notified package rates and take corrective action against violations.The civil surgeon’s office is now seeking bills, discharge summaries and undertakings from patients’ attendants. Hospitals have also been asked to provide details of the explanation given to attendants about the policy and charges applicable under govt-empanelled rates. “The process has started. We have already received details in some cases and are carrying out verification,” chief medical officer Dr Virender Baswana told TOI.The 34 hospitals named include Medanta, Artemis Hospitals, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Paras Hospital, Park Hospital, Signature Hospital, Manipal Hospital, SG T Medical College Hospital and Research Institute and Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, among others. The civil surgeon’s office has asked the hospitals to submit their reports through a special messenger to its account branch for onward submission to higher authorities.The scrutiny will examine hospitals’ compliance with govt-notified package rates. If departures from the prescribed rates are found, the exercise could establish whether beneficiaries are being asked to pay charges inconsistent with the terms under which hospitals are empanelled. The records sought from patients’ attendants may also help officials examine what patients were told about applicable rates and charges.A separate communication issued by Ayushman Bharat-Haryana Health Protection Authority (AB-HHPA) on Oct 9 points to another challenge in delivering healthcare benefits: ensuring eligible beneficiaries can actually access the cashless health scheme. Referring to directions issued by Haryana Human Rights Commission on Aug 31, the authority called for uniform implementation of the Comprehensive Cashless Health Facility (CCHF) scheme across Haryana.The directions require officials to identify and verify eligible beneficiaries and map them in the relevant human resource management system or database, without deficiencies that could prevent them from receiving benefits. Assistance must also be provided for issuing CCHF e-cards. The authority specifically highlighted senior citizens, widow pensioners, persons with disabilities, rural residents and digitally disadvantaged people.It directed officials to maintain accessible, time-bound grievance redress mechanisms and ensure beneficiaries do not have to make repeated visits to different offices to complete formalities. The focus on enrolment, e-card issuance and grievance redress raises questions about whether eligible people can access their benefits without administrative or technical hurdles.
