Health Rights Groups Raise Concerns
Maharashtra’s proposed healthcare law has been criticised by health rights groups for failing to regulate the rates charged by private hospitals, even though it introduces several measures aimed at making healthcare pricing more transparent.
The Maharashtra Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2026 seeks to replace the 77-year-old Maharashtra Nursing Homes Registration Act and create a broader framework covering hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, laboratories and diagnostic centres.
Transparency Instead of Price Control
Under the proposed Bill, healthcare establishments would have to display their treatment and service rates in Marathi, Hindi and English, while also publishing them online.
Hospitals would also be required to provide patients with itemised bills and would not be permitted to charge more than their displayed rates.
However, the legislation does not prescribe standard or maximum rates for medical treatments, procedures or diagnostic services.
Health rights groups argue that simply displaying prices may not be enough to protect patients from unaffordable healthcare costs, particularly for expensive procedures and prolonged hospitalisation.
Emergency Treatment and Patient Rights
The Bill proposes several protections for patients. Hospitals would have to stabilise emergency patients and provide basic life support even when they are unable to pay immediately.
It also introduces provisions covering informed consent, access to medical records, second opinions, privacy, dignity and non-discrimination.
The proposed framework would also require hospitals to follow “Golden Hour” protocols before referring patients in certain emergency situations.
Concerns Over Missing Safeguards
Jan Arogya Abhiyan has raised concerns that some protections contained in Maharashtra’s 2021 rules have not been retained in the proposed legislation.
These include safeguards against withholding a deceased patient’s body or detaining patients over unpaid bills, explicit protection for people living with HIV, display of doctors’ qualifications and registration numbers, and provisions concerning discharge summaries.
The group has also questioned the proposed grievance-redressal mechanism and called for stronger district-level systems through which patients can raise complaints.
Bill Still Under Review
The legislation is currently being examined by a Joint Legislative Committee, which has invited suggestions and objections from stakeholders before the Bill proceeds further.
Legal policy experts have also recommended strengthening provisions around price standardisation, grievance redressal, disability rights, inspections and regulatory accountability.
A Major Shift, But Key Questions Remain
The proposed law represents a significant attempt to modernise Maharashtra’s healthcare regulation after decades under the 1949 framework. Mandatory registration, minimum standards and stronger patient information rights could improve accountability.
However, the absence of direct price regulation remains a major concern for health rights groups. The debate now centres on whether transparency alone can adequately protect patients from high private healthcare costs.
Summary: Maharashtra’s proposed healthcare Bill would make private hospitals display treatment rates and provide itemised bills, but it does not set standard or maximum treatment prices. Health rights groups say this leaves patients vulnerable to high costs and have also raised concerns about grievance mechanisms and several patient protections missing from the proposed framework.
