Overview

• In its 163rd report, the Committee on Petitions urged extending NPPA trade‑margin caps to cancer vaccines, immunotherapies and oral chemotherapy to make insurance more affordable.
• The panel called for expanding the Drugs (Prices) Control Order to bring more oncology medicines under ceilings, backed by regular market assessments and an institutional oversight mechanism.
• It recommended creating cancer diagnostic packages with standardised pricing under government‑regulated insurance, enabling empanelment of centres for cashless services.
• Recommendations include integrating screening into PMJAY and adding diagnostic tests under CGHS and ECHS, along with scaling screening centres and targeted awareness campaigns with NGOs and survivor advocates.
• The report sought more cancer hospitals and decentralised radiotherapy and day‑care units through government funding, private participation and PPPs, while strengthening domestic R&D, streamlining trial approvals and improving use of NCRP data.