Experts urge mandatory BIS standard for hospital bills

The Bureau of Indian Standards introduced voluntary standard IS 19493:2025 for hospital billing to improve transparency through itemised charges, package inclusions and patient details. Civil society experts have reportedly urged the government to make it mandatory, as adoption remains limited. The Clinical Establishments (Central Government) Rules, 2012, requires establishments to display service rates and charge within Central Government-prescribed ranges, determined in consultation with States. However, these ranges remain unfinalized till today. Mandatory implementation could improve patient understanding of healthcare costs, reduce billing disputes and support more informed financial decisions, although it may not directly prevent overcharging.