PUNE: The
ongoing dispute between healthcare providers and public sector insurers over
the pricing of medical procedures has dealt a huge blow to patients.
As a result of the dispute, many insured patients have been
denied cashless facility at most private hospitals in Pune. To tide over
the situation, major hospitals have come up with innovative plans to assist
such patients. While Ruby Hall Clinic has already started on-the-spot
interest-free loans by tying up with a financial firm, Jehangir and Poona
hospitals are also working on similar models.
Bomi Bhote, chief executive officer (CEO), Ruby Hall Clinic, said, "No one
feels the brunt of steadily reduced resources more than patients and their
families. As the impasse over cashless insurance drags, more patients are
facing hardships. Not only do they grapple with the diagnosis shock and
treatment costs, the additional worry of having to pay out of their pocket is
also a burden."
"Though patients with insurance from private sector firms
can still avail cashless treatment, others are left with no option but to dig
into their life savings. Considering this, we decided to shoulder their burden
and come up with this novel solution," Bhote said. Ruby Hall started this
facility a week ago and 35 patients have already benefited from it.
Mahananda Shinde, whose daughter is admitted at the hospital
for lung infection-related treatment, said, "My husband works with a
pharma company and has a corporate insurance policy of a public sector
insurance firm. Under the insurance, we can avail hospitalisation cost of up to
Rs 1 lakh. Since the cashless facility has been stopped, I have no option but
to raise funds. This is where the hospital's mediclaim department helped
me to get an interest-free loan of Rs 1.10 lakh."
Sonia Basu, one of the directors of startup firm Healthfin,
which is partnering with Ruby Hall Clinic, said, "We have partnered with
various banks and financial institutions, through which we offer interest-free
schemes to patients for their medical costs."
"It is a win-win situation for all the parties involved.
This way patients do not have to delay their treatment while hospitals do not
have turn away patients for want of money. Through the scheme, banks are also
getting more customers," she said. George Eapen, CEO of Jehangir hospital,
said, "We are also tying up with similar companies to offer immediate
assistance to counter the deadlock over the cashless facility."
Naresh Dave of Poona Hospital said, "We are also
contemplating to extend similar facility to our patients."
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