Union Minister of State for Chemicals Mansukh L Mandaviya told the Lok Sabha that patients in the country would collectively save Rs 4,450 crore a year on account of the price control stents which came into play on February 12 this year. Prior to that, the cost of a bare metal stent was Rs 45,000 and Rs 1.21 lakh for a drug-eluting stent as compared with the present rate of Rs 7,260 and Rs 29,600 respectively. These figures give a clear picture of how the healthcare system was exploiting patients. It indicates how hospitals and middle-men were working in tandem to push up costs to unaffordable limits. The intervention of the Center in this matter will give huge reliefs to patients and insurance companies provided implementation is thorough. The Minister told the House that all hospitals have been instructed to issue detailed bills to patients mentioning the cost of the stent as well as the brand name. With this in hand, patients can check out the MRP cost and, in the long run, ensure that the new price regime takes root. This measure by the government will reduce the profits of hospitals and middle-men. Patients and the government will have to take guard against attempts to raise costs in other areas to make up for lost revenue.
