Kohima: A state government employee faces a 5.15 lakh rupee bill after Eden Medical Center allegedly hid coverage limits on his insurance. The worker claims the hospital kept him in the dark while his newborn spent two months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. He thought his Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme card would cover most of the cost.
His wife checked in on April 12 for a C-section. The infant entered the NICU four days later. Billing staff allegedly promised the insurance plan would pay for 70 to 80 percent of the charges. The facility later claimed NICU packages for infants differ from adult coverage. The scheme only paid 1.63 lakh of the 6.79 lakh total.
The father remains in deep financial trouble. He has two other children to feed. The hospital provided only verbal updates and no written warnings about the caps. “What can a poor person like me say? We are in distress,” the employee said. He added, “If it is a government scheme, if it does not help poor people, then what is the use?”
The employee paid 400 rupees every month into the scheme. He expected full protection during an emergency. The hospital referred the infant to a second facility on June 19. Management at Eden Medical Center says they will respond to the claims soon. The worker is currently seeking a loan to settle the massive debt.
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