New Delhi: A private hospital that treated a patient tried to extort money by charging him a gratuitous bill, but the patient’s time was short-lived.
Yes.. A patient saved Rs 44,000 by asking for an ‘itemized bill’ from the hospital. He saved Rs 44,000 on his bill. He found that money was added to the bill for treatment he did not receive, and through this he emphasized the importance of thoroughly checking hospital bills.
Private hospital treatment has already skyrocketed. Meanwhile, a hospital has been caught charging lakhs of money from the patient by charging him for everything that was not there. A patient saved nearly Rs 44,000 by asking for an ‘itemized bill’ (a list of every item)!
Billed for a surgery he didn’t get
Surprisingly, the patient was billed for a surgery he didn’t get. But the patient stopped it by asking for an ‘itemized bill’ from the hospital. By doing so, he saved Rs 44,000.
According to a post shared on social media, a person who was treated as an outpatient at a local hospital in January was billed 1 lakh rupees (about $1,100) even after paying his insurance. The patient was ready to take out a loan and pay the money. However, on the advice of a colleague, he asked for an ‘itemized bill’ from the hospital.
A closer look at the six-page long bill issued by the hospital revealed shocking facts. A whopping Rs 31,430 was charged for an anesthesia consultation that he never received while he was in the hospital. A ‘supply kit’ was included in the bill twice.
When the hospital’s billing department was called, the staff did not object and said they would look into the matter. Two weeks later, the wrong charges were removed. This reduced the bill from Rs 1 lakh to just Rs 57,000 ($618). This saved the patient around Rs 44,000.
Widespread outrage against the hospital
There is widespread outrage on social media against the hospital that tried to extort money by giving a wrong bill. As the post went viral, netizens expressed their anger against the hospitals. “Just ask for an itemized list on the bill, and the bill will be reduced by 20 percent immediately,” said one person. “These are not accidental mistakes, these are deliberate looting. If there was a mistake, shouldn’t it have been in favor of the patient as well?” asked another.