Health

Health groups seek caps on private hospital charges and drug margins

By /

Two health advocacy groups have called on the Centre and the States to regulate private hospital charges and cap trade margins on medicines and medical supplies. In a statement issued in New Delhi on Monday, 5 October 2026, the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) and the Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatment said patients still face high and arbitrary bills with few ways to challenge them, The Hindu reported.

Supreme Court scrutiny sets the backdrop

The demand comes amid renewed attention from the Supreme Court on pricing in hospital pharmacies. The court has recently questioned steep markups on medicines sold through hospital pharmacies, as well as practices that require patients to buy from pharmacies linked to the hospital. It has also asked the government to look at regulating trade margins.

The groups said the problem goes beyond the price of individual medicines. “Private healthcare has expanded enormously in India, but regulation has simply not kept pace,” said Abhay Shukla, co-convener of the JSA.

The Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, provides a framework that includes standardising services and charges. But its implementation is uneven, and several States run their own laws or regulatory systems.

Caps on private hospital charges: what the groups want

The statement sets out several demands:

  • ceilings on charges levied by private hospitals for procedures, services and treatment;
  • regulation of trade margins on medicines, medical devices and consumables;
  • an accessible, time-bound mechanism for patients to challenge excessive bills;
  • a competition-law review of practices that may be anti-competitive;
  • higher public health spending and stronger government hospitals.

K.M. Gopakumar, co-convener of the Working Group, said the maximum retail price should not become a licence to charge patients many times the procurement price. The groups also cited earlier concerns raised by the Competition Commission of India about margins in pharmaceutical sales.

Concern over incentives for doctors

The statement also flagged the effect of financial incentives on clinical decisions. Gayatri Sharma, a community health physician and researcher, said revenue-linked incentives could push doctors to order more tests or procedures.

“Doctors should be able to make treatment decisions solely on the basis of what is medically necessary for the patient,” she said. She called on the National Medical Commission to examine pay practices that link doctors’ earnings to hospital revenue.

The groups said patients facing long hospital stays, or procedures that use many medicines and devices, are the most exposed to large bills.

Source: The Hindu

Photo: Alexey Komarov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Share

Today’s News 6 Oct 2026 · 30 stories

  1. Himachal kabaddi players to get Rs 1 crore each for Asian Games gold1Himachal kabaddi players to get Rs 1 crore each for Asian Games goldOct 6, 2026
  2. India vs Uruguay: Blue Tigers face Forlan’s side in Kolkata tonight2India vs Uruguay: Blue Tigers face Forlan’s side in Kolkata tonightOct 6, 2026
  3. IndiGo fuel surcharge hike makes flights costlier from 6 October3IndiGo fuel surcharge hike makes flights costlier from 6 OctoberOct 6, 2026
  4. India vs West Indies 1st T20I: Samson or Sooryavanshi in Lucknow?4India vs West Indies 1st T20I: Samson or Sooryavanshi in Lucknow?Oct 6, 2026
  5. Lasalgaon onion prices ease to ₹46 a kg, but retail stays near ₹655Lasalgaon onion prices ease to ₹46 a kg, but retail stays near ₹65Oct 6, 2026
  6. Rajasthan panchayat elections: Congress seeks police probe, BJP readies 3 lakh workers6Rajasthan panchayat elections: Congress seeks police probe, BJP readies 3 lakh workersOct 6, 2026
  7. Gold price today: bullion flat on 6 October after MCX slide to ₹1.49 lakh7Gold price today: bullion flat on 6 October after MCX slide to ₹1.49 lakhOct 6, 2026
  8. CSIR NCL MTS Recruitment 2026: 24 posts open for Class 10 pass candidates8CSIR NCL MTS Recruitment 2026: 24 posts open for Class 10 pass candidatesOct 6, 2026
  9. JDA clears encroachments on Jaipur’s New Sanganer Road under HC order9JDA clears encroachments on Jaipur’s New Sanganer Road under HC orderOct 6, 2026
  10. IOCL Apprentice Recruitment 2026: 335 seats in Western Region, apply by 4 November10IOCL Apprentice Recruitment 2026: 335 seats in Western Region, apply by 4 NovemberOct 6, 2026
  11. Ranthambore leopard alerts: Rajasthan trials Kerala-style sensors11Ranthambore leopard alerts: Rajasthan trials Kerala-style sensorsOct 6, 2026
  12. CDAC Recruitment 2026: 951 project posts open, apply by 26 October12CDAC Recruitment 2026: 951 project posts open, apply by 26 OctoberOct 6, 2026
  13. Health groups seek caps on private hospital charges and drug margins13Health groups seek caps on private hospital charges and drug marginsOct 6, 2026 · Reading now
  14. Congress announces Vote Bachao Desh Bachao stir against CEC14Congress announces Vote Bachao Desh Bachao stir against CECOct 6, 2026
  15. Haryana dengue cases rise 58% in 20 days; Gurgaon tops the tally15Haryana dengue cases rise 58% in 20 days; Gurgaon tops the tallyOct 6, 2026
  16. Kerala influenza deaths reach 120 this year, nearly triple 2025’s toll16Kerala influenza deaths reach 120 this year, nearly triple 2025’s tollOct 6, 2026
  17. Baththa box office: Vijay Sethupathi film earns ₹11.35 crore in five days17Baththa box office: Vijay Sethupathi film earns ₹11.35 crore in five daysOct 6, 2026
  18. Digger box office flop: Tom Cruise film opens to million as Verity leads18Digger box office flop: Tom Cruise film opens to $8 million as Verity leadsOct 6, 2026
  19. Supreme Court notice on CEC Gyanesh Kumar; says it never cleared new Form 619Supreme Court notice on CEC Gyanesh Kumar; says it never cleared new Form 6Oct 6, 2026
  20. Film City fire hits Pati Patni Aur Panga 2 set; AICWA seeks FIR20Film City fire hits Pati Patni Aur Panga 2 set; AICWA seeks FIROct 6, 2026
  21. Richa Chadha says 2026 is not yet a landmark year for content cinema21Richa Chadha says 2026 is not yet a landmark year for content cinemaOct 6, 2026
  22. Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha producer alleges negative marketing22Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha producer alleges negative marketingOct 6, 2026
  23. Women’s safety in Delhi: Supreme Court asks police for 24-hour watch cells23Women’s safety in Delhi: Supreme Court asks police for 24-hour watch cellsOct 6, 2026
  24. Drishyam 3 box office crosses ₹300 crore worldwide after first Monday24Drishyam 3 box office crosses ₹300 crore worldwide after first MondayOct 6, 2026
  25. Supreme Court seeks Centre’s plan for Central Secretariat Library move25Supreme Court seeks Centre’s plan for Central Secretariat Library moveOct 6, 2026
  26. India Mobile Congress 2026 opens 7 October at Yashobhoomi26India Mobile Congress 2026 opens 7 October at YashobhoomiOct 6, 2026
  27. TRAI won’t act on tariff ‘guesswork’, insists on voice-only plans27TRAI won’t act on tariff ‘guesswork’, insists on voice-only plansOct 6, 2026
  28. Vivo V80 and X Fold 6 headline Vivo’s India launch event today28Vivo V80 and X Fold 6 headline Vivo’s India launch event todayOct 6, 2026
  29. BigEndian gets ₹130 crore to build an India-made AI vision chip29BigEndian gets ₹130 crore to build an India-made AI vision chipOct 6, 2026
  30. Karnataka AI training to expand to government schools from Class 630Karnataka AI training to expand to government schools from Class 6Oct 6, 2026

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top