The government has made it mandatory for private hospitals to follow ‘Ventilator Billing Rules’. Under this, hospitals will now have to take written permission from the family members before putting the patient on ventilator.
Also, they will have to tell its possible expenses in advance.
According to the new guidelines of the Health Ministry, it will be mandatory for private hospitals to strictly follow ‘ventilator billing rules’. Now any private hospital will take written and explicit consent from the family of the patient before putting him on ventilator.
It will be important to tell the doctor why the ventilator is being installed, what benefits it will provide, what are the risks and for how long it may be needed. Besides, it will also have to be clearly stated as to what the daily expenses of ICU and ventilator will be.
That’s why I took the step
The new guidelines implemented for transparency in ventilator usage have recently been put up on the website of the Directorate General of Health Services. Officials associated with the matter say that its purpose is to bring transparency in the use of ventilators by private hospitals so that the common people do not face any kind of financial crisis. Also, trust in the private health system should be restored.
Hospitals will have to take these steps
1. Expenses will now have to be shown in front of everyone
According to the new rules, private hospitals will have to publicly display all the expenses related to ventilators, such as machine charges, ICU charges and consumables. This information will have to be displayed at the billing counter, outside the ICU and on the hospital website, so that the patient’s family knows in advance how much the expense is going to be.
2. Easy hearing of complaints
Now every hospital will have to make a time bound complaint redressal system. If the patient’s family has any objection to the treatment or the bill, they will be able to lodge a formal complaint and the hospital will have to respond within a stipulated time.
3. Usage-Based Billing
The usage of the ventilator will be billed only for the time when the ventilator is actually being used for the patient. If the ventilator is switched off then its cost will not be added to the bill.
4. Complete information must be given
Before putting him on the ventilator, the patient’s family will be given detailed information about his daily expenses and ICU cost so that the family can be financially prepared.
5. Complete records must be maintained
Hospitals will be required to securely maintain complete records of patients’ treatment outcomes, mortality rates and duration and type of ventilator support, which can be made available for scrutiny by surveillance agencies.