Patient not discharged for 48 hours as insurer refuses ‘inflated’ bill

New Delhi: Due to a payment dispute between an insurance company and a hospital, a 66-year-old patient was held medical hostage in Saroj Hospital, Rohini for almost 48 hours after the doctors treating her allowed her discharge. This is despite a Delhi High Court ruling that outstanding bills “cannot be a reason to withhold release of a patient”.

Ompati Devi was admitted to Saroj Hospital on October 12 with respiratory difficulty. She tested positive for Covid and, on October 27, as discharge formalities were being completed, the hospital prepared a bill of Rs 5.35 lakh.

In keeping with Delhi government’s directive that its regulated rates for Covid will be applicable even for patients with health insurance, the insurance company, New India Assurance Ltd, pointed out that the bill was hugely inflated. Going by the government rates, the bill would at best be about Rs 2.1 lakh, plus the cost of six Interleukin-6 tests, which are not covered in the Delhi government rates.

Though Ompati Devi’s insurance cover was for Rs 5 lakh, the insurance company refused to pay the inflated charges. After much persuasion, it paid about Rs 4 lakh though protesting against the alleged rampant overcharging.

Despite repeated calls, there was no response from Dr R N Das, in charge of Delhi nursing home registration cell.