“NEW DELHI: In a dramatic reversal of the trend that existed just three years ago, big corporate hospitals today charge health insurance card holders much less than those paying in cash for the same procedures. Those paying out of their pockets are now billed anywhere between 25% and 60% more than those with cashless health insurance schemes. …
“It appears that the Indian private healthcare system is moving closer to mirroring the situation in the US, where insurance firms are the prime factors in holding down healthcare costs and those without insurance can face crippling charges…. However, 80-85 % of the population is without any insurance cover and they are now feeling the pinch, more so in the absence of a health regulator….
“The package for a heart surgery at Sir Ganga Ram, Max, Fortis, Apollo hospitals in Delhi, Medanta in Gurgaon if you are holding an insurance policy — and other corporate hospitals across the country in the same category – is about Rs 2.25 lakh. … For the same treatment, if you are making out-of-pocket payment, it will cost you an average of Rs 3.63 lakh … a comparative study by TOI has found.” — Pradeep Thakur, Don’t have health cover? Pay up to 60% more – Times Of India, Sept. 25, 2013.
