Karnataka penalises 97 private hospitals since 2018 over scheme overcharging

Health officials in Karnataka have penalised 97 private hospitals since 2018 for overcharging patients under state government health schemes, and have collected more than Rs 1.66 crore in fines, in a Deccan Herald report. The report notes that under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act, private hospitals cannot deny emergency care. An official said empanelled hospitals are typically paid within two weeks unless discrepancies or legal issues arise, and that the department has received several complaints about excess charges and refusal of treatment, with action to follow against those hospitals.

Earlier Deccan Herald reporting on the Arogya Karnataka scheme noted that some hospitals deny treatment or charge above government rates, and cited 48 show-cause notices issued since 2018. For hospital leaders, the case shows that scheme empanelment carries billing and emergency-care duties that the state can enforce with fines.