The Commies are back: Imposing a state-mandated pricing system on private hospitals is a good idea in principle, but would be difficult to implement on the ground, Mamdouh Shaaban writes for Al Ahram. The unified system, which a Health Ministry official announced is in the works earlier this month, would be the first “serious step” to address price gouging in the private healthcare system, Shaaban says. The brilliant columnist goes on to suggest the ministry only oversees two-thirds of private hospitals, leaving the remaining one-third without a proper mechanism for the implementation of a mandatory pricing scheme. Shaaban also says that the pricing system must be accompanied with clear and significant punishments for hospitals and clinics that do not adhere to the state-imposed price list.

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