Members of PHANA seek simplification of licence renewal process and AB-ArK package rate revision

Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar inaugurates Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association’s (PHANA) two-day health summit in Bengaluru

Members of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) in Karnataka, who are unhappy about the low rates fixed for various procedures under the Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka (AB-ArK) health scheme, on Saturday appealed to the State Government to revise the rates at the earliest.

The members, who deliberated on various issues and challenges faced by private hospitals at the two-day health summit organised by PHANA in the city, said the low rates have kept away many hospitals from getting empaneled for the schemes. 

“Now, the Yeshaswini scheme is being reintroduced with the rates that are even lesser than CGHS and AB-ArK rates. We want the government to set up a scientific costing committee that involves representatives from the private hospitals and work out a rational rate chart,” said outgoing PHANA president H.M. Prasanna.

Seeking review of bills raised by private hospitals for treatment of COVID patients under AB-ArK, he said some bills have been rejected for clerical and procedural lapses.

“While we appreciate the audit process and scrutiny of hospital bills by the government, we want the government to review bills that have been rejected for delays in submission or due to minor lapses in online procedures. These bills are otherwise accurate in terms of treatment, tariffs and patient outcomes. These clerical mistakes happened due to staff shortage issues and stress of work during the pandemic,” he claimed.

In a memorandum submitted to the Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar, who inaugurated the summit, PHANA members urged the government to simplify the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act licence renewal process and make it seamless and online only. They have sought that renewal should be mandated once in five years and not every year as is the norm now.

Mr. Sudhakar assured the private hospitals that he will speak to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and try to put in place a single-window system. He said the fire NOC renewal period will be increased to three years.