Solving catastrophic medical expenditure requires multi -level interventions – including public awareness, sensitization of providers, preventive health care and robust insurance systems – to ensure financial protection and universal health coverage, according to doctors’ analysis, recently published in the medical journal Kerala.
Writing about the vicious circle of poverty and poor health that is put into motion by high cost of hospitalization, they say that sensitization
In the analysis of “catastrophic treatment expenditure: co -morbidity requiring multi -level intervention”, medical experts, Rajeev Jayadevan, Vinod Xavier Franklin, Sunny P. Orathel and Maria Varghes, that it is important that doctors who are well controlled in diagnostic modalities are also informed of financial consequences.
Doctors are often confronted with the dilemma of receiving patients in the ICU, although they know that patients’ prognosis is likely to be bad. Many doctors tell that they are facing the social pressure of relatives who want to do everything for their beloved person, even though they knew that accepting the ICU would not change the results.
This emphasizes the need for sensitization of healthcare providers on ethical aspects as well as the financial reality of patients healing because the diagnosis and therapeutic paradigm based on the instructions recommended in good faith
Equally expensive treatment of conditions such as advanced cancer can sometimes lead to large expenditures outside the pocket that are out of the reach of families. Healthcare workers should lead families in considering the use of costly, newly developed drugs or therapeutic options, especially in advanced cancer stages where their impact on survival may be minted or uncertain.
The location of the article should be minimized in vain acceptance in the ICU, especially for individuals who only need care for comfort, he says.
Motor vehicle accidents
Doctors also point out that one of the most common causes of catastrophic expenditure for treatment in the country is motor accident accidents. Hospitalization, surgery and ICU care after road traffic accidents can lead to large medical accounts for which the patient or family often do not prepare.
In such cases, it often comes to the forefront of insufficient or no insurance coverage, especially between youth. Sometimes families eventually accept loans with high interest rates from local money to settle medical accounts, and so they get poverty.
This indirectly affects the nutrition, educational and health needs of other family members, some of whom are vulnerable, such as small children or fragile elderly.
Even among the insured, the rejection of insurance claims may be a significant failure. However, healthcare providers can streamline the processes of their demands and improve financial results for patients using technology and focus on the accuracy and adherence to data. This requires efforts to cooperate between providers, payers and technology partners to create a more efficient healthcare payment system, the authors say.
Published – 11 July 2025 20:32
