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Raj Kumar Makkad (Adv P & H High Court Chandigarh)     16 April 2010

EMPOWERING PATIENTS

Reform of the healthcare system is a major priority for governments virtually everywhere. The approval given by the Union Cabinet for the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2010, comes at the appropriate moment. Several expert committees have pointed out the parlous state of healthcare in India, which results in impoverishing expenditures for millions of households. Shockingly, only 10 per cent of Indians are estimated to have any form of financial cover for health. Moreover, about 70 per cent of health spending, as estimated by the 60th round of the National Sample Survey, is out-of-pocket. While the important questions of equity and access need to be addressed with higher spending, a key measure that can bring about change in the provision of care is the recognition of the patient's rights. The rights of patients are recognised by the World Health Organisation as a part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the state and the physician are both obliged to respect them. What will make these rights actionable is a regulatory framework that is genuinely empowering. Any new law must contain unambiguous provisions for patients to be informed, in a standardised, written format. That would include the treatment choice for their condition, the risks and costs involved, as well as the alternatives. In the case of medical procedures, the experience of the doctor and the outcomes at the hospital should also be documented for the patient's benefit.

 

The informative model of patient rights, widely adopted in the developed world, can be readily applied in all settings where the care sought is elective. In emergencies, a system where the doctor unilaterally makes a choice in the best interests of the patient, who is unable to participate, would seem appropriate. The importance of a statute that empowers patients cannot be overemphasised, against the background of rising, out-of-pocket costs. The emphasis on costly health insurance plans operated by for-profit companies to cover catastrophic expenditure necessarily requires that patients are made part of the equation when costs are determined. They have no scope to participate now because hospitals and insurance administrators decide, through an opaque system, the treatment protocol and expenditure. Obviously, in such a system, informed consent by the patient is ruled out. Potentially, patients can benefit if the accreditation process launched by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers goes about its task sincerely. The ability to assert the patient's rights will, however, depend on total transparency in public and private healthcare institutions, rigorous benchmarking of treatment, cost control, and good regulatory oversight.

 

 



Learning

 6 Replies

Daksh (Student)     17 April 2010

Mr.R.K.Makkad,

"GET WELL SOON".

Daksh

Parthasarathi Loganathan (Advocate)     17 April 2010

I would like to go through the contents of the proposed bill and can be posted in this link for information to the learned community.


(Guest)
Originally posted by :Parthasarathi Loganathan
"
I would like to go through the contents of the proposed bill and can be posted in this link for information to the learned community.
"
Thanks Raj
I agree that informative models about patient rights and greater transparency between hospitals and insurance administrators will not only help patients but also will encourage more people to buy health insurance policies. However, healthcare in India has improved and come a long way. I have purchased a health insurance policy from Max Bupa Health Insurance which is the leading provider of medical insurance in India. The policy has extremely impressive features and benefits on offer including maternity cover which makes me believe that health insurance in India has come a long way. 

Parthasarathi Loganathan (Advocate)     18 February 2011

However IOB Health Care scheme has unique and special features amongst all products in the market.


(Guest)
Originally posted by :Parthasarathi Loganathan
"
I would like to go through the contents of the proposed bill and can be posted in this link for information to the learned community.
"

Hello Parathasarathi

I have purchased health insurance policy from Max Bupa Health Insurance and I am pretty satisfied with the policy.  The policy offers cashless hospitalization at quality hospitals across India, no age restriction for enrollment, assured renewability for life, maternity cover, new born baby cover, direct claim settlement without third party involvement, highest sum insured of upto Rs 50 laks and many more. Also Max Bupa is a private health insurance provider in comparison to IOB.


(Guest)
Originally posted by :Parthasarathi Loganathan
"
I would like to go through the contents of the proposed bill and can be posted in this link for information to the learned community.
"

Hello Parathasarathi

As I have mentioned that I have purchased a health insurance policy from Max Bupa Health Insurance. The policy offers extremely impressive features and I am pretty satisfied with the policy offerings. When buying health insurance my sole aim was to buy affordable health insurance and policy which would fulfill all my requirements and after considering other health insurance providers and their policy I opted for Max Bupa Health Insurance.  


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