Reining in healthcare costs

In the ongoing dispute between the four public-sector general insurers and elite private hospital chains, the former have alleged that these hospitals charge more from people having insurance cover than from people who pay out of their pockets. The insurers have suspended the cashless treatment facility at these elite hospitals. News reports indicate that the two parties have now decided to sort out issues through negotiation. This controversy, however, points towards a larger issue that most nations are wrestling with: escalating healthcare costs and how to rein them in. Here India has a lot to learn from developed nations that have already been down this road. Is private healthcare the answer? In soci

This article was originally published on October 04, 2010.