Settle COVID-related cashless insurance claims within 1 hour: IRDAI

IRDAI has recently directed all the insurers to decide on cashless COVID-19 treatment claims within 60 minutes of the receipt of final bill so that the hospital bed can be quickly made available to another waiting patient.

The regulator has also directed all general and health insurers to communicate their decision on authorisation for cashless treatment for COVID-19 claims to the hospital within 60 minutes from the time of receipt of request along with all necessary requirements from the hospital.

IRDAI has issued this direction in view of a Delhi High Court order asking the regulator to tell insurers to communicate their cashless approvals within a maximum time period of 30 to 60 minutes so that there is no delay in discharge of patients.

In the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 and in line with directions of the High Court, IRDAI has directed insurers that “decision on final discharge of patients covered in COVID-19 claims shall be communicated to the network provider within a period of ONE hour from the time of receipt of final bill along with all necessary requirements from the hospital”.