ISLAMABAD, JULY15: The costs for cardiac treatments under the Sehat Card Plus health insurance plan have increased by 40%, according to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) health department.Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur’s orders were followed when the decision was reached during a policy board meeting on Saturday, which was presided over by Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah. Important attendees were Health Secretary Adeel Shah, Director-General (Health Services) Dr. Muhammad Salim Khan, CEO of Sehat Card Plus Dr. Muhammad Riaz Tanoli, and other pertinent officials.
Hospitals that conduct cardiac operations will be paid more starting next month. With the board’s approval, 26 cardiac interventions covered by the Sehat Card Plus will see a 40% boost in compensation. The officials stated that two months ago, the hospitals’ demand for higher rates was considered, with several of them expressing discontent with the 2016 rates.
Currently, cardiac services under the Sehat Card Plus are available at about twelve hospitals in KP. The officials emphasized that because cardiac surgeries are expensive and many patients are unable to pay for them on their own, services for heart patients receive 27% of the SCP’s budget.
Heart patients used to have to wait a long time for surgeries; hospitals would blame a shortage of beds, but the real cause was the inadequate reimbursement provided by the government. Senior cardiac surgeons and cardiologists declined to treat patients under the SCP, choosing to treat private individuals who could afford to pay more.
Under the Sehat Card Plus, Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah emphasized the significance of upholding high levels of care. He reiterated that there will be no compromising on the caliber of services rendered and instructed hospitals to make sure patients got the finest care possible.
