Knee replacement cost cap extended | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has extended the maximum price setting for orthopedic knee implants for another year until September 15, 2025. According to the September 10 notice, the costs of the primary knee replacement system (coated with titanium alloy) is capped at Rs 51,563, the cost of revision knee replacement The system is capped at Rs 83,547.
The NPPA had in 2017 announced the maximum price of orthopedic knee implants by invoking extraordinary powers, in the public interest, under paragraph 19 of Order to control drug prices (DPCO) 2013, for a period of one year.
The pharmaceutical pricing authority has since upheld the applicability of ceiling prices for orthopedic knee implants. Officials said this was done to ensure the implants are affordable and to prevent patients from being fleeced.
The NPPA stated in its August 16, 2020 order that it “observed that orthopedic knee implants have unjustified, unreasonable and irrationally high trade margins, leading to their exorbitant prices that affect patients’ expenses. Furthermore, millions of patients are unable to afford the cost of arthroplasty procedures due to these exorbitant prices and suffering from pain.”