Kenyan hospitals have developed a three-pronged approach that works to inflate bills charged to patients, especially those with insurance covers.
According to an expose on Thursday's Daily Nation, unsuspecting patients are subjected to excess diagnostic tests, exaggerated prescriptions and unnecessary admissions.
A doctor who spoke to the newspaper revealed that medics working in private facilities are issued with monthly financial targets in order to keep their jobs.
"Some of the targets run up to millions of shillings per month so the doctors are forced to order laboratory tests and prescribe unnecessary medicines.
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"In addition, they are quick to admit patients even when the patient is in no need of further observation. The goal is to make as much money as possible form the patient," the doctor explained.
The report outlines that some facilities go as far as offering incentives to doctors who bring in the most money through commissions.
The source illustrated that in the case of deliveries, hospitals milk the moment by assigning various specialists to be present, each at a cost.
"A typical uncomplicated delivery will be attended to by a gynaecologist, paediatrician and a neo-natal specialist even in instances where it is clear that all these specialists need not be present," the source revealed.
Another tactic that has been flagged by insurers is what is termed as double-tier pricing, where medical facilities charge the patient differently depending on the mode of payment they intend to use.
"We have had to strike off some clinics from our list of approved health providers because they are too dishonest.
"For instance, we have had patients billed for ultrasounds when the facility they attended had no ultrasound machine.
"In other cases, patients have undergone urine and blood tests for straightforward coughs and later saddled with drug prescriptions a mile long," a source at Minet Insurance Company told Nation.
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