Cashless facility for CGHS to be withdrawn unless bills paid: Private hospitals

NEW DELHI: Private hospitals threatened to withdraw cashless facility to beneficiaries of Central Government Health Scheme ( CGHS) from next month unless the government cleared pending bills to the tune of up to Rs 125 crore on time.

Members of Association of Healthcare Providers India (APHI) said most of the hospitals empaneled under the CGHS to treat central government employees and pensioners are not being reimbursed within reasonable time for the healthcare services offered.

It has also asked for a revision of rates for various procedures offered under the scheme.

"If these issues are not resolved immediately, these hospitals will be constrained to withdraw the cashless facility to CGHS beneficiaries with effect from January 15 in Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka followed by other states in the country," APHI Director General Girdhar J Gyani told reporters here.

According to APHI, the total pending bill amounts in the range of Rs 100 crore to Rs 125 crore and over 26 lakh beneficiaries, including pensioners, are covered under the scheme.

However, CGHS beneficiaries can continue to avail treatment against payment at CGHS tariffs, he added.

"The hospitals believe that this move will spur the system to correct the prevailing anomalies and establish better working arrangement benefiting all stakeholders," he added.

With steep increase in foreign exchange rate and funds crunch due to non-payment from CGHS, the hospitals are getting into huge debts, incurring heavy interests from banks while funding the government schemes, he added.

The association, which claims to represent around 10,000 private and charitable hospitals across the country, also asked the government to look into revision of rates for various procedures, anomalies in payment structure and refund of unauthorised deductions from running bills.

"The tariff for procedures arrived by CGHS is very low. As a result, the services to CGHS beneficiaries are not financially viable for private and charitable hospitals," Gyani said.

Commenting on the issue, eminent cardiac surgeon and philanthropist Devi Shetty said: "...It is important that remuneration and timely payment for CGHS schemes are standardised. This will help charitable and private hospitals to extend their services to all the government sponsored health schemes."

It is important for CGHS scheme to work with the network hospitals and address their grievances, he added.