Tamil Nadu fixes private hospital rates for CM's Covid-19 insurance scheme

Package rate at Rs 5,000 for asymptomatic patients or those with mild symptoms; ICu cases get a maximum of Rs 15,000 a day

Tamil Nadu Government has fixed the rates it has to pay private hospitals for Covid-19 treatment, under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS).

The government has earlier formed a committee to fix the rates for those hospitals that had been approved for providing treatment to patients under the insurance scheme. 

According to an announcement made by State Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, the package rate for Covid-19 patients who are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms, and who are receiving treatment in general wards has been fixed at Rs 5,000 per day for A1 to A4 grade hospitals.

The package rate for Intensive Care Units (ICU) with all facilities for Grade A1 and A2 has been fixed at Rs 10,000-15,000 per day and for Grade A3 and A4 hospitals at Rs 9,000-Rs 13,500 per day.

As per the conditions, hospitals under the scheme should allocate 25 per cent of their capacities to Covid-19. Those who charge more than the fixed rate will be removed from the CMCHIS list, he added.

There were allegations earlier that some private hospitals in the State were overcharging patients for both testing and treatment at a time when the number of cases in the State, especially in Chennai, was spiking. The government held talks with these hospitals to control prices, the minister said last week.