Page 12 - The Insurance Times October 2025

but still underinsured healthcare land- who heads the commission, stated rule, which encourages product inno-
scape. that care and compassion must be vation. He said newer plans tend to
prioritised over financial disputes. outperform older ones, prompting cus-
Release bodies in 5 hours: Hospitals are now seeking mechanisms tomers to explore better options.
West Bengal health panel to ensure pending bills can still be re- While the trend is rising, insurers are
covered while complying with the five- not alarmed. Some firms attract new
to hospitals
hour rule, especially in cases involving customers through innovation, while
The West Bengal Clinical Establishment third-party administrators (TPAs) and others retain clients by upgrading ex-
Regulatory Commission has ruled that insurance settlements. isting offerings.
hospitals cannot withhold a deceased
patient's body for more than five hours Senior citizens increasingly The growing interest in portability sig-
over unpaid bills or pending insurance nals a maturing insurance market, es-
claims. port health insurance for pecially among older policyholders
Hospitals must document reasons for better benefits seeking value and flexibility.
any delay and inform the commission. Health insurance portability among
Non-compliance will lead to penalties. senior citizens has nearly doubled in Doctors allege cartelisation

While the ruling is seen as humane, two years, driven by new product in- by insurers, urge IRDAI to
hospital administrators expressed con- novations and rising awareness. intervene
cern that families may exploit it, leav- Data from PolicyBazaar reveals that
ing hospitals without means to recover portability in the 60+ segment rose to The Delhi Medical Association Nursing
dues. 29% of total policies in 2024-25, up Home Forum (DMA NHF), representing
20,000 doctors and over 1,100
The directive followed a complaint from 18% in 2022-23. Seniors are healthcare facilities, has accused pri-
from Mudasi Parvez, who said CMRI switching insurers to access better
vate insurers of cartel-like behaviour.
hospital delayed releasing his 74-year- claim support, wider coverage, and to
old relative's body by 15 hours due to counter premium hikes. In a submission to IRDAI, they alleged
insurance clearance issues. Ankur Kharbanda of Niva Bupa attrib- that insurers-acting through the Gen-
Justice (retd) Ashim Kumar Banerjee, uted this trend to IRDAI's "use and file" eral Insurance Council (GIC)-are collec-
tively dictating tariffs using an illegal
Devi Shetty: India will prove healthcare is not just "common empanelment" model. They
claim this suppresses fair negotiations
for the rich and undermines hospitals.
Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman of Narayana Health, believes India will pioneer
While the forum has not called for sus-
affordable, high-quality healthcare for all, irrespective of income.
pension of cashless services to avoid
With digital platforms, AI tools, and government-backed insurance, he pre- harming patients, it urged IRDAI to
dicts India will break the global norm of wealth-based healthcare within 5- investigate the alleged abuse of domi-
10 years. nance, enforce inflation-linked tariffs,
Narayana Health's tech arm Athma has launched AIRA for clinical data track- and involve the SFIO for deeper scru-
ing, Aadi as a doctor's mobile assistant, and Namah for nursing workflows. tiny.
Shetty says these platforms will be free or low-cost globally.
DMA NHF seeks a multi-stakeholder
The hospital group has also entered insurance with ADITI (surgery cover up meeting to restore fair practices and
to Rs. 1 crore) and Arya (for medical gaps), becoming a full-stack healthcare protect patient rights.
provider.
Insurance sources counter that this is
Shetty noted that hospitals entering insurance shift focus from illness-based
an attempt to derail common
revenue to wellness promotion. "If people stay healthy, insurers save money- empanelment, adding there's no
aligning the goals of providers and customers," he said.
healthcare regulator to address over-
This integration of care, tech, and insurance reflects Narayana's mission to priced hospital bills from the insurers'
democratise health access worldwide. side.

12 October 2025 The Insurance Times