Tightening the hold over hospitals, nursing homes and clinics performing cardiac procedures using stents, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has made it compulsory for such institutions to disclose separately the cost of the stent while billing a patient.
Medical facilities, including retailers and dealers of stents, will also have to display price list of stents on a part of their premises which is easily accessible to any person wishing to consult the same
Prices of bare metal stents have been capped at INR 7,260, whereas both drugeluting stents (DES) and biodegradable stents will now cost INR 29,600.
The regulator, however, said the new prices will be applicable for a period of one year, unless revised by another gazette notification.
Over 90% of stents implanted in India are DES — metal stents coated with a drug that prevents the arteries from closing again.
Till now, the price of DES in India had ranged anywhere from INR 35,000 to INR 1.95 lakh.
This is considered among the latest stent technology and was priced at around INR 1.80 lakh so far.
