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Health Insurance and Ayushman Bharat

Medical Inflation and Hospital Pricing

Hospital costs are rising faster than general inflation, and lack of price transparency makes it hard for patients to compare.

Why bills keep rising.

Inflation

Medical costs rise around 10 to 14 per cent a year in many estimates.

Drivers

New technology, drug prices, and hospital charges.

Transparency

Prices vary widely for the same procedure, with limited public data.

Rules

Regulations require hospitals to display rates in some states.

A price gap

The same surgery costs several times more at one hospital than another.

Assuming higher price means better care

Quality is hard to judge from price alone.

Key takeaways
  • Medical inflation is high.
  • Technology and prices drive it.
  • Prices are opaque.
  • Some states require rate display.
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