MUMBAI: After repeated complaints by the insurance sector over the cost of treatment in private hospitals, the finance ministry has written to the health ministry suggesting that health secretary Sudhansh Pant meet representatives from the insurance industry to consider their suggestion for a regulator for healthcare services.
Read More: Sovereign Gold Bond 2023-24 Series III closes today | How to buy?
The letter by financial services secretary Vivek Joshi is part of the government’s objective of “insurance for all” and was written last week. “The ongoing efforts of the National Health Authority to build the National Health Exchange have been welcomed by the insurance industry. A health regulator would play a vital role in ensuring that this digital transformation align with the efficiency of the providers ecosystem,” the letter said.
The NHA is the apex body responsible for implementing the flagship public health insurance scheme ‘Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana’. The authority has been entrusted with designing strategy, building technological infrastructure and implementing the ‘National Digital Health Mission’.
The National Health Exchange is a platform set up to standardise insurance claims processes. The objective is to make the cashless claim settlement more efficient and transparent.
According to insurers, the framework for digitising health services is already in place. There is the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers, and there is a unique health identifier for every citizen called the Ayushman Bharat Health Account or ABHA, which allows individuals to store their health records in digital form and share them with healthcare providers.
Read More: Petrol, Diesel Fresh Prices Announced For December 22: Check Fuel Rates In Your City
However, these are yet to be fully implemented. The biggest challenge is that the central government cannot issue a directive because health is a state subject. There have been suggestions that insurance companies can drive implementation by insisting on registration and accreditation.
