Kerala to draft a Bill on private hospital treatment costs; four-member panel named

4 October 2026

Health and Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan has announced legislation to regulate treatment costs in private hospitals and to make billing transparent.
A four-member committee headed by the Principal Secretary of the Health Department will draft the Bill. Its other members are the Director of Health Services, the Director of Medical Education and the Managing Director of KMSCL.
The committee will examine charges for medicines, diagnostic tests, imaging scans, room rent and procedures, and will consult private hospitals and other stakeholders.
The proposed framework would require private hospitals to tell patients the expected cost of treatment in advance, to give itemised bills, and to keep medicine pricing transparent, including sales below the maximum retail price.
The Minister said the government recognises the role of private hospitals in Kerala's healthcare sector but wants to keep treatment costs affordable, and that the rules will also take their operating costs into account.
The draft Bill is to be placed before the Kerala Legislative Assembly.