Navi Mumbai: A 70-year-old Navi Mumbai resident was forced to escalate his grievance to the Union Finance Ministry after his health insurance policy was abruptly canceled by a leading private insurer—despite having paid a hefty premium of Rs 62,645 over six months ago.
B.N. Kumar, a noted environmental and civic activist, had renewed his health policy on July 29, 2024, via an American Express credit card. The policy was meant to be valid from 00:00 hrs on July 29, 2024, to 23:59 hrs on July 28, 2025. However, due to an apparent miscommunication, the insurer voided the policy.
"Amex debited my credit card twice. I requested a reversal of one transaction, which they processed promptly," Kumar explained. "But the insurance company misinterpreted this as a cancellation of the premium and terminated my policy—without even verifying with me."
Upon raising a complaint, the insurer asked Kumar to submit payment details. He provided his Amex credit card statements as proof. In response, he received a message acknowledging the "process of restoration," but subsequent updates only contained reassurances, with no actual resolution.
Frustrated by the inaction, Kumar approached the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) but received only forwarded emails from the regulator to the insurer, with no concrete redressal. Despite tweeting both IRDAI and the insurance company multiple times, he was repeatedly asked for the same details.
Left with no other option, Kumar lodged a formal complaint with the Union Finance Ministry through the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), urging intervention at the highest level to reinstate his health coverage.
"The insurer must compensate me for the mental harassment I’ve endured, having to follow up repeatedly for months," he said. "I’ve been without health coverage for over six months—through no fault of my own. As a senior citizen, who will take responsibility if something happens to me?"
An update on the Public Grievances portal now indicates that the Finance Ministry has marked Kumar’s complaint to IRDAI Manager V. Spandana for further action.