The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) officials have served show cause notices on eleven corporate hospitals in Hyderabad for denying cashless or credit facilities to the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) beneficiaries. The hospitals include, Medwin Hospital, KIMS, three branches each of Yashoda, Apollo and the Care Group.
Since March 7, hospitals under A.P. Super-speciality Hospitals Association (ASHA) had stopped extending cashless medical services protesting delayed reimbursement of their pending medical bills by CGHS. The hospitals continued to deny medical services despite assurances from MOHFW authorities on taking steps to clear pending hospital bills .
1.80 lakh beneficiaries affectedClose to 1.80 lakh CGHS beneficiaries were impacted due to the boycott of cashless medical services by corporate hospitals in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. While patients suffered, the hospitals maintained that they are in an ‘untenable’ position and can’t keep treating patients and then wait for two years for their medical bills to be cleared. The CGHS authorities in Hyderabad on Thursday, however, assured about restoration of cashless medical facilities soon. “The CGHS, New Delhi has already invited application bids from hospitals for fresh empanelment under revised rates. Apart from the existing corporate hospitals, other hospitals in the State are expected to take part in the bids,” authorities here said.
Unhappy with revised ratesAccording to health officials, the new bids under revised CGHS rates will be finalised as fast as possible. Many corporate hospitals however, have maintained that they were not happy with the revised rates and unlikely to participate in the fresh bidding. Many of the members of ASHA were not available for comment.
