After a decade, the Union Health Ministry has revised the package rates for nearly 2,000 medical procedures, which will take effect from October 13. The rates have, for the first time, been rationalised based on hospital accreditation, city classification and hospital type.

Hospitals have long argued that the government-set package rates were too low and did not reflect the rise in inflation since 2014.

While the revision brings a nominal increase in charges for some medical procedures, there is a substantial hike in the rates for surgical interventions.

For instance, the rate for complicated tooth extraction under local anaesthesia has been revised from Rs 115 to Rs 800 in NABH-accredited health facilities. The rate for MRI mammography (a test to detect breast cancer) has increased fro

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