Ministry debars 5 hospitals for ignoring CGHS cards

Following reports that 24 prominent hospitals have unilaterally discontinued cashless treatment under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), the government has withdrawn the empanelment of five hospitals for a six-month period.

These include Fortis Escort Heart Institute (Faridabad), Fortis (Jaipur), Delhi Heart and Lung Institute and Bangalore's M S Ramaiah Hospital.

The ministry of health and family welfare said in a statement issued on Wednesday that it has suspended empanelment and issued show cause notices to these hospitals for disregarding CGHS cards.

The Fortis group of hospitals, Moolchand, National Heart Institute, Narayana Hrudayalaya, KIMS and Yashodha Hospitals are among the 24 private hospitals that have unilaterally decided to discontinue credit facilities to the eligible categories of CGHS beneficiaries.

The ministry said there have been reports that private hospitals on the CGHS panel are denying credit facilities to eligible CGHS beneficiaries. Lower package rates and inadmissible deductions are the reported reasons for withdrawal of agreed cashless /credit facilities.

Assuring the CGHS beneficiaries that most of the private hospitals continue to extend the cashless facilities to CGHS beneficiaries, the ministry said it would ensure that the CGHS empanelled private hospitals continue to extend cashless / credit facilities to the eligible CGHS.

The ministry has already taken special steps for clearance of pending hospital bills on a priority basis and the pendency of bills is almost cleared, it said while adding that the CGHS has already invited bids for revision of package rates through a transparent tender process, where the last date for submission of bids was 16th March, 2014. Steps are underway to conclude the tender process early.

The stand-off between association of private hospitals and the health ministry turned bitter earlier this month after the private healthcare institutes demanded releasing of payments under CGHS at the earliest failing which they would stop providing cashless treatment to CGHS patients.