The Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) has urged policymakers to adopt a balanced and evidence-based approach to healthcare affordability. The organisation has rejected comparisons between hospital room charges and three-star hotel rates, stating that hospitals face significantly different operational and clinical costs.
Focus on Transparent Healthcare Pricing
Hospitals must maintain medical infrastructure, employ trained professionals and provide advanced technology and patient safety standards. Therefore, AHPI believes healthcare costs should be assessed based on factors such as location, clinical complexity, infrastructure, manpower and quality of services.
As per The Economic Times’ ETHealthworld, AHPI has called for evidence-based cost transparency and benchmarking instead of rigid price controls.
Strengthening Healthcare Access
AHPI has also recommended stronger government healthcare schemes, including PM-JAY, along with regular revision of package rates. Moreover, expanding health insurance coverage and strengthening public healthcare infrastructure could help reduce patients’ financial burden.
Overall, AHPI has called for a sustainable approach that improves affordability while allowing hospitals to maintain quality and safety standards.