More on Covid-19

BENGALURU: India has over 10,000 Covid-19 positive cases and government hospitals are taking care of bulk of the treatment, with private players and, consequently, health insurance playing a smaller role so far. Sources, including National Health Authority (NHA) officials, said that around 10% of cases are undergoing treatment in private hospitals.“The reason that most of the cases are being treated at government hospitals could be because state governments are actively tracking, testing and ensuring treatment for the positive cases. There is, however, a small number of people who opting for private healthcare,” said a top NHA official.And the cases where treatments are covered under health insurance are fewer — just 2% of total cases in India. As of Monday, General Insurance Council (GIC) reported about 200 Covid-19 claims to the Finance Ministry against 10,586 total cases.Private hospitals’ networks like Private Hospitals & Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), said that no uniform treatment protocol has been agreed upon and if AIIMS or the state governments come up with recommendations, they will likely follow the same. AIIMS set up a task force last week to set up a uniform protocol for hospital treatment of Covid-19.Even insurance companies, via GIC, have sent suggestions to Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the finance ministry, asking that hospitals follow a set procedure for treatment of Covid-19 cases so that rack rates can be agreed upon.Right now, treatment for Covid-19 cases at private hospital treatment costs anywhere between Rs 4.5 to Rs 10 lakh. “We have given our recommendations, but we have received no update. The number of cases is still too low for us to be worried,” said a CMD of a general insurance company. When asked about patients being affected by artificial inflation of bills by private hospitals said insurers the CMD said, “If the hospital is not a partner, then there could be issues at the time of reimbursement”.Insurers have agreed that adding costs to the final bill will be testing. “The cost is about Rs 4,500 per test and one must remember this isn’t a one-time cost. The patient gets tested every two days till the tests indicate a negative result,” said CEO of a private insurance firm.