BHOPAL: Black marketing of medicines, oxygen, Remdesivir has created tussle between impaneled hospitals and health insurance companies depriving cashless treatment of Covid patients. Health insurance companies and private hospital blame each other for denying cashless treatment of patients. Private hospitals have started denying cashless treatment to health insurance policy holders.
According to health insurance companies, if Remdesivir is bought for Rs 36,000 instead of Rs 2000, how can they pay the bill? Under such circumstances, Covid patients have no other option but to foot the hospitals bills at their own even after being policy holders.
Dr Subodh Varseny, Sidhdhanta Hospital, said, “Oxygen and medicine rates have increased three to four times now. Therefore, the medical bill also increased. But health insurance companies hardly pay 50 per cent of the hospital bills and how can it will be a cashless treatment. Health insurance companies are playing foul game with the policy holding Covid patients.”
LN Sharma, a health insurance agent, said, “When hospitals are charging Rs 36,000 for Remdesivir, how can health insurance companies clear the bill. Receipts are attached with document for clearance of medical bill of impaneled hospitals. Similarly, bills of PPE kits and other disposable items are added in the hospital bills which are not agreed to pay by insurance companies. Due to black marketing of Remdesivir, medicine, oxygen and even pathology bills are inflated. So, private hospitals have increased the bills at their will. Under such circumstance, health insurance for Rs 5 lakh, the hospital make bill pay that bill? Then, private hospitals forces patients to clear the bills and then deal with health insurance companies.”
