Maharashtra caps treatment cost for mucormycosis at private hospitals

Hospitals in Mumbai and in most of the cities in the metropolitan region have been put under the top A category. Representation pic

The state government has capped the cost of mucormycosis treatment at private hospitals. The deadly disease, as a sequela of Covid-19, requires high-end treatment, both in the way of medicines and surgeries. This includes a long stay in the hospital to ensure quality treatment and complete remission of the disease. Since few patients can afford the cost of treatment, the government was mulling to regulate the charges.

Like it regulated the Covid-19 treatment cost by segregating the cities in three categories for fixing charges, a similar model has been adopted by the State for mucormycosis.

The notification, to be effective till July 31, was signed by CM Uddhav Thackeray on Friday. It said that under the state's flagship scheme, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, many patients are taking free treatment. But people who are not covered by health insurance or who have exhausted their health insurance cover are being charged exorbitantly by private healthcare providers causing hardships to the public.

Treatment of mucormycosis involves costly medicines and a long stay at the hospital. Representation pic

The cost components involved are, per day's stay in a hospital which includes consultation, medicines, nursing, diagnostics.

Hence, in a conservative case, the bill will consist of per diem rate and additional payment for excluded components in the per diem cost, said the notification. The capping will benefit people who are not covered under an insurance scheme or exceed the insurance cover.

The cost component in surgery is the cost of the procedure which includes the surgeon's, assistant surgeons' and anaesthetists' fees, OT charges, drugs, consumables, disposables, oxygen utilised during the surgery. Hence, in a surgical case, the bill of the patient will consist of per diem cost as per stay in the hospital, additional payment for excluded components in the per diem cost and prescribed procedure cost.

Also Read: Mumbai: Rising mucormycosis cases in children worry medicos

Violation, if any, will be checked by the government's flying squads and audit teams will keep an eye on the hospital accounts.

Cities in the ‘A' class include, Mumbai, MMR - municipal areas of Mira Bhayander, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, Kulgaon Badlapur, Panvel; Pune and Pune metropolitan area, Nagpur municipal area, Digdoh and Wadi.

Cities in the ‘B' class include Nashik, Aurangabad, Amravati. Bhiwandi, Vasai-Virar, Solapur, Kolhapur, Malegaon, Nanded, Sangli and all district headquarters
Cities in the ‘C' class include cities not included in ‘A' and ‘B'.

Category-wise per day rates

Isolation in ward:
Category A: Rs 4,000
Category B: Rs 3,000
Category C: Rs 2,400

Isolation in ICU
Category A: Rs 7,500
Category B: Rs 5,500
Category C: Rs 4,500

Isolation in ICU with ventilator
Category A: Rs 9,000
Category B: Rs 6,700
Category C: Rs 5,400

Surgery cost (28 types)
Category A: Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh
Category B: R7,500 to Rs 75,000
Category C: R6,000 to Rs 60,000