1 day ago
Kerala Hospital Ordered to Pay Patient Rs 1.14 Lakh
A man went to a hospital in Kerala because he had severe stomach pain.
He said the hospital first estimated that treatment would cost about Rs 40,000.
Later, the hospital sent his insurer a bill for about Rs 1.30 lakh.
The man said the bill was too high and that a signature on it was not his.
He complained to a consumer commission.
The hospital did not appear or give its explanation.
The commission accepted the man’s evidence and found the hospital deficient in service.
It ordered the hospital to pay him Rs 1.14 lakh in total.
This included a refund, compensation and legal costs.
A Kerala consumer commission ordered a hospital to pay a patient Rs 1.14 lakh.
The patient said he was initially told treatment would cost about Rs 40,000.
The hospital later submitted an approximately Rs 1.30 lakh bill, with Rs 1.19 lakh sanctioned by the insurer.
The patient disputed the bill and alleged that a signature on the insurance document was not his.
The commission ordered Rs 79,000 in refund, Rs 25,000 in compensation and Rs 10,000 in litigation costs.
- Who
- A patient and an unnamed Kerala hospital; the complaint was decided by the Kollam District Consumer Commission.
- What
- The commission ordered the hospital to pay Rs 1.14 lakh over alleged excessive billing and a disputed insurance-document signature.
- Where
- Kerala, before the Kollam District Consumer Commission.
- When
- The patient was admitted on October 30, 2025; the commission’s order was dated August 19, with no year specified in the article.
- Why
- The commission found that the hospital had not satisfactorily explained the disputed document or the difference between the expected and billed treatment costs.
Patient's allegations
Hospital's position
Treatment charges
Patient's allegations
The patient said he was initially told treatment would cost about Rs 40,000, but the hospital later submitted a bill of approximately Rs 1.30 lakh and allegedly claimed around Rs 79,000 above the actual expenses.
Hospital's position
The hospital allegedly explained that inpatient treatment cost more than outpatient treatment, but it did not appear before the commission or file a formal response.
Disputed signature
Patient's allegations
The patient said the signature beside his name on the bill submitted to the insurer was not his.
Hospital's position
The hospital provided no explanation for how the disputed document came into existence, according to the commission.
Consumer complaint
Patient's allegations
The patient sought a refund and Rs 4 lakh in compensation for alleged deficiency in service and unfair conduct.
Hospital's position
The hospital did not appear despite receiving notice and did not challenge the patient’s evidence before the commission.
Key facts
- Initial treatment estimate
- About Rs 40,000
- Bill submitted to insurer
- Approximately Rs 1.30 lakh
- Amount sanctioned
- Rs 1.19 lakh
- Refund ordered
- Rs 79,000
- Compensation
- Rs 25,000 for mental agony, inconvenience and hardship
- Litigation costs
- Rs 10,000
- Compliance period
- 45 days
Quotes
Kollam District Consumer Commission
Consumer commission comprising President S K Sreela and member Stanly H.
“The complainant has succeeded in establishing, on the basis of his unrebutted testimony and documentary evidence, that the conduct complained of amounts to deficiency in service and that his grievance regarding the disputed document and excessive billing has not been satisfactorily explained by the opposite party (hospital).”
indianexpress.com
“The commission is therefore justified in accepting the complainant’s evidence regarding the disputed signature, particularly when the same has not been challenged by way of cross-examination or contradicted by any evidence on the side of the opposite party.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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