India’s national standards body, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), has introduced a uniform but voluntary hospital bill format aimed at improving transparency and clarity in healthcare billing across the country. The move comes amid long-standing concerns over opaque and inconsistent billing practices that have often left patients confused and dissatisfied.
The new Indian Standard, IS-19493:2025, applies to all healthcare institutions, including hospitals, nursing homes, diagnostic centres and outpatient clinics. According to BIS, the standard seeks to establish a common benchmark for billing clarity and accountability, making it easier for patients to understand what they are being charged for.
The introduction of the format follows widespread public concern over unclear hospital bills, which BIS noted have contributed to “confusion, disputes and diminished accountability.” By standardising how charges are presented, the regulator aims to minimise discrepancies and reduce billing-related conflicts between patients and healthcare providers.
Under the new standard, hospital bills will be required to provide a detailed, itemised breakdown of charges. These include components such as room rent, doctors’ consultation fees, surgery costs, medicines and diagnostic services. Consultation charges must be itemised by doctor and date, while surgery-related costs must be broken down into surgeon’s fees, anaesthesia charges, operation theatre expenses and any other associated costs.
Similarly, diagnostic bills will need to list each test conducted along with its individual charge, and medicine bills must specify the name, quantity and price of each drug supplied. For treatments offered under packages, hospitals will be required to clearly disclose package details, addressing a common grievance where charges are bundled without adequate explanation.
In addition, the standard mandates that bills clearly mention the total amount payable, any discounts or concessions offered, advance payments received, modes of payment and corresponding receipt numbers. BIS said the format has been designed to be consistent and user-friendly, enabling patients to easily understand their healthcare expenses.
While adherence to the standard is voluntary, BIS noted that institutions following its guidelines are often viewed more favourably in the market and may command higher value due to increased trust and credibility.
The move is supported by findings from a nationwide survey conducted in April 2024 by online platform Local Circles. The survey, which covered around 12,000 respondents across more than 300 districts, found that only 47 per cent had received hospital bills with itemised details of services, facilities and consumables. More than half of the respondents said they did not receive proper break-ups, while around 10 per cent reported that their bills lacked details and were labelled simply as “package charges.”
By introducing IS-19493:2025, BIS aims to address these gaps and promote greater transparency in healthcare billing, empowering patients with clearer information and strengthening accountability across the healthcare ecosystem.
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