Health groups seek regulation of private hospital charges, medicine margins
Health advocacy groups are calling for stricter government regulation of private hospital charges and medicine markups. They argue that the lack of standardized pricing leaves patients vulnerable to exploitation, especially during long-term care.
Why it matters
Rising healthcare costs and the lack of price transparency in private facilities are major socio-economic issues affecting patient access to essential medical services.
The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) and the Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatment have called for regulation of charges levied by private hospitals and ceilings on trade margins for medicines, medical devices and medical consumables, amid renewed scrutiny by the Supreme Court of pricing practices in hospital pharmacies.
The groups, in a statement issued on Monday (October 5, 2026), said patients continued to face high and arbitrary charges for treatment, medicines and consumables, with limited avenues to challenge hospital bills.
The Supreme Court has recently questioned steep markups on medicines sold through hospital pharmacies and practices that require patients to purchase medicines from hospital-linked pharmacies. The court has also asked the government to examine regulation of trade margins.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in