Keep policyholders at the centre, Maharashtra health minister tells insurers and hospitals

At a joint meeting at Mantralaya in Mumbai on Tuesday, Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar directed health insurance companies and hospitals to keep policyholders at the centre of their services and said the state government will examine complaints received from insured patients.

He also warned that if irregularities are found, the government will initiate appropriate action. The meeting brought together representatives of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), private insurers and leading hospitals. Participants included executives from Reliance, Tata, SBI, Star Health, HDFC and AIG, alongside representatives from hospitals such as Vockhardt, Lilavati, Jaslok and Reliance.

“Even though insurance companies and hospitals operate on commercial lines, the patient must remain the central focus,” Abitkar said, emphasising that patient welfare should guide decisions across the health insurance ecosystem.

Officials discussed the possibility of evolving a standard operating framework to safeguard patient welfare and the establishment of a standard mechanism to address concerns and ensure smoother coordination between insurers and hospitals.

Abitkar noted that the number of people opting for health insurance is steadily increasing and said providing satisfactory services to policyholders is the responsibility of both hospitals and insurance companies.