New Delhi, March 13: Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal sharply criticized the private health service and insurance system during a session on Friday. She stated that the nexus between hospitals and insurance companies turns the common man into a “tennis ball.” While advertisements feature celebrities showcasing how easy it is to claim insurance, the reality is that individuals often exhaust their resources in the process.
Maliwal highlighted that there are instances where insurance companies deny claims after a patient’s death, and hospitals refuse to release the body, forcing families to sell their jewelry to cover expenses.
“When you sign a policy, you are treated like ‘God.’ However, the moment you file a claim, you become a ‘tennis ball,’ tossed back and forth between the hospital and the insurance company,” she remarked.
She further explained that patients often discover that their insurance company has been blacklisted by the hospital’s Third Party Administrator (TPA) upon admission, leading them to pay out of pocket. They then face the arduous task of reclaiming those funds. On holidays, patients wait for hours for a single document, while the billing meter continues to run. Calling the insurance company often results in long wait times, speaking to different agents, and ultimately receiving news of claim denial. This is not an exception; it’s how the system is designed to operate.
According to IRDAI data from 2024, insurance claims worth ₹26,000 crores were rejected in just one year, marking a nearly 20% increase from the previous year. Maliwal stated, “Due to rising medical bills, millions of Indians are becoming poorer.”
In the Rajya Sabha, she made several key demands. Maliwal urged the government to implement a ‘National List of Rates for Hospital Procedures’ immediately. This should be a publicly notified price list for all common medical procedures, strictly enforced across all hospitals, whether public or private.
Her second demand was to limit foreign private equity ownership in Indian hospital chains to no more than 26% without government approval.
Maliwal’s third demand called for the establishment of a strict regulatory firewall to prevent any single entity from owning both insurance products and hospital infrastructure. Additionally, she insisted that practices such as billing for services not rendered and inflated billing should be classified as criminal offenses. She also advocated for mandatory health insurance for all persons with disabilities and their immediate inclusion in the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme without delay.
My name is Himanshu Tiwari. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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