Maharashtra fixes PET-CT scan rate at Rs 10,250 in government and PPP hospitals

The Maharashtra government has fixed the rate for PET-CT scans to give relief to cancer patients. Government hospitals and health institutions run on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis in the state will now charge Rs 10,250 for the scan.

The decision is part of a government order issued by the Medical Education Department. According to the order, the Rs 10,250 rate includes the FDG (Fluorodeoxyglucose) radiotracer, and the contrast agent too, if required.

The rate has been arrived at by giving a 50 per cent discount on the Rs 20,500 package fixed under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) and the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).

Patients who are not beneficiaries of these two government schemes will also get this fixed rate at government and PPP hospitals. The order does not apply to private hospitals and independent diagnostic laboratories.

Contrast agent rates also fixed

Along with PET-CT, the government has also fixed the prices of contrast agents used in CT and MRI tests. For CT scans, 50 ml of contrast will cost Rs 420 and 100 ml will cost Rs 830. For MRI scans, the rate for 10 ml of gadolinium contrast has been fixed at Rs 950.

The Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) had found that contrast agent prices varied widely between hospitals. To avoid complaints of hospitals charging different prices, it was decided to apply a uniform rate in all hospitals.

Free tests for eligible patients

Under the government order of July 4, 2017, patients eligible for free treatment will get these tests free. Beneficiaries of MJPJAY and the Ayushman Bharat scheme will also get them free, according to their eligibility. Other patients will have to pay the rate fixed by the government.

PET-CT scans are used to detect cancer, see how far the disease has spread, determine its stage and assess the effect of treatment. The lower rate is expected to reduce the financial burden of testing on cancer patients. Earlier, on October 17, the government had decided to include PET-CT tests in the MJPJAY and PMJAY schemes.

New rules for hospitals

Under the new guidelines, all hospitals concerned must display test rates in Marathi and English at a clearly visible place. They must also keep a separate record of patients' tests and start a digital monitoring dashboard.

The quantity of contrast agent used must be certified by the doctors concerned. Hospitals have been barred from charging patients by quantity for partially used bottles.

Private diagnostic service providers working under PPP will not be able to collect money directly from patients. All transactions will go through the hospital's billing counter, and the hospital will pay these providers every month. Any violation will be treated as a breach of the agreement, and action can be taken against the institutions concerned.