Major relief to patients: Cardiac stents to cost 75% less now

Major life-saving devices cannot be used to earn profit. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority on February 14 slashed stent prices by over 75%. Including VAT, drug eluting stents (DES) and bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) will now only cost heart patients Rs 31,080, while bare metal stents (BMS) would cost Rs 7,623.

Earlier private hospitals were earning major profits from these stents. The decision is expected to break the nexus between manufacturers, doctors and hospitals that have led to "unethical" markups in the prices of these stents, according to The Economic Times.


"In short, the Authority noted that there is no value addition or financial stakes in trade at the level of hospitals and that maximum price distortion and hike takes place at that level," NPPA chairman Bhupendra Singh told ET. "Legally as well as ethically, hospitals cannot and should not charge margins," he added.

According to data from the drug pricing regulator, hospitals were found earning exorbitant margins on stents-over 650% in some cases.

The body has already made it mandatory for institutions performing stenting procedures to bill patients separately for the device. It has also teamed up with State Drug Controllers to monitor and act upon any hikes in doctors' fees and other procedure costs.