The Maharashtra government has come out with three slabs on per day charges on treatment of COVID-19 patients in private and charitable hospitals and also decided to regulate rates for 80 percent of the operational bed capacity in these medical facilities.

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Non-government health care providers in Maharashtra have been asked to accommodate maximum number of patients with 80 percent of the operational bed capacity to be regulated by rates sanctioned by the government.

Fresh guidelines issued by the state government on May 21 said the fee regulation decision applies to both isolation and non-isolation beds in private and charitable hospitals. This means 80 percent of beds in isolation and non- isolation wards available with any healthcare provider will be regulated by the state government/municipal commissioner/ district collector.

Healthcare providers may charge their own rates to the remaining 20 percent beds, according to a government notification. There will be no difference in quality of treatment in 80 percent and 20 percent categories, it said.

For COVID-19 patients, there will be three rate slabs on per day basis - Rs 4,000, Rs 7,500 and Rs 9,000 - based on the category of wards they have been admitted in, said the notification. For non-COVID patients, hospitals which have agreements with insurance companies will follow the rate of lowest slab irrespective of the category of beds occupied by the patient, it said.

If there is no agreement between the two sides, hospitals will follow slab-wise rates depending on beds in hospitals, the notification said. The guidelines will be in force till August 31.