New Delhi [India], November 14 : Government urged insurance companies to ensure the "highest standards of service and better turnaround time" for policyholders, particularly during hospitalisation and while settling claims. In a meeting with insurers and healthcare providers, Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), M. Nagaraju, asked to adhere to this.
According to a press release of the finance ministry, the meeting on Thursday, discussed issues of medical inflation and rising health insurance premiums, and saw participation from representatives of the General Insurance Council, Association of Healthcare Providers in India (AHPI), leading hospital chains such as Max Healthcare, Fortis Healthcare and Apollo Hospitals, as well as insurers including New India Assurance, Star Health Insurance and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, among others.
The Secretary advised insurers and hospitals to fast-track onboarding on the National Health Claims Exchange, devise standard treatment protocols, adopt common empanelment norms and ensure seamless cashless claims processing to make healthcare more affordable and accessible.
He said standardised empanelment norms across insurers would help provide consistent cashless access to policyholders, streamline service terms, improve operations and reduce the administrative burden on hospitals.
Reiterating the need to prioritise policyholder interest, Nagaraju stressed that insurance companies must focus on quicker approvals and smoother processes during hospitalisation and claim settlement so that customers receive timely support at critical moments.
He further underlined that while medical inflation is driven by multiple cost factors, greater collaboration between hospitals and insurers through cost control and standardisation is essential to bring transparency and efficiency and ensure better value for health insurance policyholders.
Senior industry leaders, including General Insurance Council Secretary General Inderjeet Singh, Apollo Hospitals MD Dr Suneeta Reddy, Max Healthcare CMD Abhay Soi and senior executives from Niva Bupa, Star Health and Oriental Insurance, attended the meeting and took part in the deliberations.
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