PATNA, Feb. 25 -- The Bihar government on Tuesday said it was committed to introducing a system of cashless medical treatment but declined to specify a timeframe, drawing persistent queries from members across party lines in the Bihar Legislative Council. Health minister Mangal Pandey informed the House that the government was finalising a comprehensive policy and deciding whether the scheme would be insurance-based or assurance-based. Secretary-level discussions between the health and finance departments were underway to work out implementation modalities, he said. Pandey noted that a key issue was the difference between hospital billing and reimbursement rates. "Big hospitals charge a certain amount, but the government reimburses on CGHS (Central Government Health Scheme) rates, leading to slashing of reimbursement claims. We have to decide through a policy what we will accept," he said. Replying to a short-notice question by RJD MLC Syed Faisal Ali - who sought to know if state government employees, like the MLAs and MLCs, did not have the facility of cashless medical treatment in the state - the minister said the government was serious about the proposal. "We are clear on cashless medical treatment. We have to do it. We will make a comprehensive policy and implement it soon," Pandey said. Several members pointed out that the proposal had been announced last year but was yet to be implemented. BJP MLC Nawal Kishor Yadav complained that reimbursement claims of legislators and their dependents were often reduced substantially, leaving little payable amount. His remarks suggesting outside pressure on the government were immediately objected to by Legislative Council chairperson Awadhesh Narayan Singh, who ordered them expunged from the proceedings. Members cited personal experiences to highlight the issue. Faisal Ali said he received Rs.50,000 against a bill of Rs.90,000 for his wife's cataract surgery in one eye and Rs.34,000 for the second eye. JD(U) MLC Md Khalid Anwar said he was reimbursed about Rs.2.25 lakh against a Rs.3-lakh bill for his mother's treatment. JD(U) MLC Sanjeev Kumar Singh noted that Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Rajasthan had already implemented cashless treatment systems, while JD(U) MLC Dr Rajvardhan Azad, former head of the Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences at AIIMS Delhi, asked what was preventing Bihar from doing the same. Responding, Pandey said the health department alone could not roll out the scheme. "Since the scheme involves money, it has to go to the finance department. No new plan can be implemented without its concurrence. We will make a policy and implement it soon," he said....