Karnataka panel for 20% cut on non-Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka COVID-19 treatment costs

A price fixation committee has placed in front of the Additional Chief Secretary of Health, rates at which Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka (AB-ArK) card holders, as well as other insurance and cash patients can avail COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals.

This will be forwarded to the Cabinet sub-committee for approval.

For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here

Though the committee has agreed to the below poverty line rates offered by private hospitals for treatment under AB-ArK, it wants a reduction of 20% or more in the cost to be borne by other insurance and cash patients as they’ve found it to be higher than prices in other states.

For the general ward, the committee wants Rs 12,000 as opposed to Rs 15,000, for a ward with oxygen, the committee wants Rs 15,000 as against Rs 20,000, for an isolation ICU, the committee wants Rs 20,000 as against Rs 25,000, and for an isolation ICU with a ventilator, the committee wants Rs 25,000 as against the offered price of Rs 35,000.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

“The price fixation committee is headed by the executive director of Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (SAST) N T Abroo and has as its members Director of Medical Education Dr P G Girish, Director of Health Dr Omprakash Patil, district surgeons and doctors from various hospitals under the medical education department,” said Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary, Health.

Akhtar said the fixing of rates is at an advanced stage and refused to divulge more details.

Follow: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on June 15

The Federation of Healthcare Associations Karnataka (FHAK) has six private healthcare providers’ associations as members. Around 200 hospitals are a part of these six associations. The FHAK has offered a quotation to the government. This includes PPE costs.

Dr Nagendra Swamy, principal coordinator of FHAK, told DH, “We haven’t received any official communication from the government on them wanting a 20% reduction in prices for cash and other insurance patients. By the government’s own admission, it costs Rs. 3.5 lakh to treat a Covid-19 patient and we have quoted much lesser than that. We are ready to sit with them for discussion if they communicate why they feel it is high.”

Read: Seeking COVID-19 care too late responsible for recent surge in deaths: Karnataka CCSU Head

For BPL patients, the rates proposed by FHAK are Rs 5,200 for general ward, Rs. 7,000 for a ward with oxygen, Rs. 8,500 for an isolation ICU, and Rs. 10,000 for an isolation ICU with a ventilator.

Dr C N Manjunath, nodal officer for COVID-19 lab testing, said, “The committee has sought a Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000 reduction in non-BPL patients’ treatment rates in certain categories.”