“₹3,000 Goes to Doctor Just to Refer You!” Raghav Chadha Exposes 'Cut Money' Scam Inflating Your Hospital Bills

In a major Parliament speech that has alarmed common patients across the country, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha exposed the widespread "cut money" and referral commission nexus between certain doctors and private diagnostic centers. Speaking in the House during Zero Hour, he revealed how an informal parallel economy has taken root where doctors receive fixed commissions-sometimes as high as ₹3,000 on a ₹9,000 MRI test-simply for directing patients to a specific pathology lab rather than providing actual medical treatment.

Explaining how this hidden transaction operates behind closed doors, Chadha pointed out that diagnostic centers list these commission payouts in their account books as "marketing expenses," while doctors describe them as "referral fees". In reality, these hidden costs are secretly added directly to the patient's final invoice, inflating overall medical test charges by 15% to 20%. Even worse, this commercial setup creates a dangerous incentive for doctors to prescribe unnecessary medical tests and over-referrals that patients do not even need.

While clarifying that he considers doctors to be "secondary gods" and that his fight is against the corrupt system rather than honest medical professionals, Chadha noted that such fee-splitting practices are already strictly illegal under National Medical Commission rules and carry suspension penalties. He urged common citizens to watch out for clear "red flags"- such as a doctor pressuring you to visit one specific lab, getting visibly irritated if you choose another accredited lab, or having lab promotional materials and marketing agents operating inside their clinic.