Bengaluru: A minor finger injury during a cricket game turned into a surprising financial experience for a patient, who spent one night at the hospital for a basic procedure. Thankfully, his insurance was excellent — it even covered non-consumables, which most regular health plans don’t.
The total bill came to around Rs 40,000. The insurance company paid the full amount under a cashless arrangement. But during discharge, the hospital asked the patient to pay Rs 3,200 for non-consumables. Confused, he showed them the list of covered items under his policy. While 'gloves' were on the insurance list and were eventually paid for, other items like surgeon gowns, Betadine, drapes, and mops weren’t — leading him to pay Rs 2,800 from his pocket.
Are These Items Justified?
The patient couldn’t understand why basic hygiene items like mops or Betadine — used to clean wounds — weren’t included in the procedure cost. Shouldn’t a surgeon's gown or drapes be part of any surgical setup?
When shared online, a doctor gave a sharp reply: 'Would you want your surgeon to use the same gown, drapes, and mop for all patients?' The point made sense — these items are used only once and must be billed. But if insurance doesn’t cover them, the patient ends up paying, no matter how good the policy is.
