Private hospitals may have to go public with tariffs

As part of a plan to improve transparency, the Centre may require hospitals to upload their charges, available specialities, registration details and grievance officer contacts to a central portal.

New Delhi: Private hospitals in India will soon be required to upload their tariff structures and other details to a central government portal, allowing patients to compare costs and make informed treatment decisions, according to two officials familiar with the plan.

Hospitals will have to upload their charges, available specialities, registration details and grievance officer contacts to the government portal under the Clinical Establishments Act (CEA), as part of a plan to improve transparency in hospital billing and grievance redressal.

The Centre, however, has no immediate plans to enforce uniform price ceilings or to step into tariff regulation, according to the officials.

Mint reported on 12 October that Union health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava had directed states and Union territories to ensure healthcare service rates were prominently displayed at hospital reception desks.

The proposed central portal marks the next step, requiring private hospitals to upload their complete tariff cards online so patients can access pricing information before visiting a facility.

Information asymmetry can lead to opaque billing, inflated prices for consumables and arbitrary charges during medical emergencies, potentially pushing households into debt. The risk is significant in India, where the private sector accounts for nearly 70% of outpatient care and 60% of inpatient care. Income disparities across states further compound the problem.

Government replies in Parliament, including figures from the Union health ministry, put the number of private hospitals in the country at 43,486-44,100.

In 2022-23, Indian households spent ₹3.83 trillion on healthcare out of pocket, accounting for 43.4% of total health expenditure, showed the health ministry’s National Health Accounts (NHA).

“The platform will force complete transparency on what hospitals are charging patients for various procedures and clinical services. But right now, we are saying hospitals should transparently display their charges,” said one of the two officials on condition of anonymity.

The platform will serve as a public directory where healthcare establishments must submit accurate administrative and pricing data for access by both the government and the public, the official added.

However, "the statutory provisions of the current law—the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010—do not empower the Centre to impose fixed fees or penalize non-compliance directly,” said the second official.

Medical care costs vary widely by geography and local cost structures, making standard caps impractical.

Hospitals for transparency

Private healthcare providers welcomed the bid for transparency but maintained that public disclosures must reflect clinical complexities and infrastructure variations.

“As healthcare becomes increasingly specialized and personalized, transparency initiatives should continue to balance cost visibility with clinical realities, ensuring that patients receive meaningful information while preserving the quality and continuity of care,” said the spokesperson of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd in response to Mint’s emailed queries.

Fortis Healthcare said it “supports transparency in healthcare pricing" and "will comply with all applicable requirements as and when notified”.

Dr Aashish Chaudhry, managing director, Aakash Healthcare Pvt. Ltd, a super-speciality hospital in Delhi, said the portal should be supported by clear, standardized reporting guidelines, a simple digital interface and a practical implementation timeline.

“Transparency should empower patients without creating unnecessary administrative burdens that could take healthcare professionals away from their primary responsibility of delivering quality care,” Chaudhry said.

Mint's queries emailed to the spokesperson of Union ministry of health and family welfare, director general of health services (DGHS), Max Healthcare Institute Ltd, Manipal Health Enterprises Ltd and Yashoda Healthcare Group remained unanswered. Medanta declined to comment.

Not enough

Health experts, meanwhile, suggest regular audits, especially of hidden charges at private hospitals.

“It (the latest move) ensures transparency and informed choice. There should be no scope for hidden costs. However, other avoidable costs due to unnecessary tests and treatments will not be covered by this measure,” said K. Srinath Reddy, former president, health policy think tank Public Health Foundation of India.

Periodic audits of hospitals should combine technical, financial and social audits to ascertain benefit, safety, cost optimization and patient satisfaction, Reddy added.

The plan in the current form would be helpful, but may not be enough, according to Anant Bhan, a global health researcher. “Just publishing tariff structures on a website, which might not also be accessible to all patients (in rural areas, for example), can end up being inadequate. The government needs to step up its responsibility to ensure effective governance for stricter, uniform implementation of the CEA,” Bhan added.

About the Author

Priyanka Sharma is a journalist at Mint, where she covers the Union Ministry of Health and the pharmaceutical industry. Her work focuses on explaining government policies and how they impact healthcare and the medicine market in India. With 12 years of experience in journalism, she has built a reputation for providing clear and honest news on important health topics that affect the entire country.<br><br>Her educational background includes a journalism degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and specialized training in public health from the Public Health Foundation of India. Before her current role at Mint, Priyanka worked with India Today, The Pioneer, and ANI. She also served as a lead consultant for the National Health Authority, which gave her firsthand knowledge of how the government manages large-scale health programmes.<br><br>Priyanka is based in New Delhi and is an avid traveller who loves visiting the mountains. She has a great interest in regional flavours, particularly South Indian food.