Maharashtra orders private hospitals to display treatment rates where patients can see them

All private hospitals and other medical establishments in Maharashtra will now have to display the rates of their services and facilities at a place where patients can easily see them. The Public Health Department has made this mandatory in a Government Resolution (GR) issued on 16 October.

According to the order, this will give patients and their relatives an advance idea of the likely cost of treatment and allow them to plan their medical expenses.

The circular has been issued on the basis of instructions given by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 12 October 2026. Private hospitals and other medical establishments registered under the Bombay Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1949 must display the rates for the services and facilities listed in Schedule III of the Maharashtra Nursing Home Rules, 2021. Under these rules, displaying the rates of clinical and hospital services at a prominent place is legally mandatory.

The rate list must be in both Marathi and English. It must be put up at a key spot on the hospital premises that is clearly visible and easily accessible. If a hospital changes any rate, the list must be updated immediately.

To avoid complaints over bills, patients must be given full information on the applicable service charges and the rates of different packages. Staff at the registration, inquiry and billing counters must give patients and their relatives the necessary information on the rate list and charges.

Hospitals that treat foreign patients who come to India for treatment on a medical visa or an Ayush visa must also clearly display the rates of the special packages applicable to them.

The competent authorities responsible for registering, regulating and monitoring hospitals must periodically review compliance with the rate display rules. Institutions that violate the rules have been asked to face the necessary administrative and legal action.

The order also says that all district surgeons, district health officers and medical health officers of municipal corporations must bring the circular to the notice of private hospitals and other medical establishments in their areas and ensure its effective implementation.