'Same query again and again': Filmmaker slams Tata AIG over delayed claim for father's treatment

Documentary filmmaker Jeet Mashru shared a distressing account on February 3, describing his ordeal with Tata AIG over delays in processing his father’s cashless insurance claim during a medical emergency. His father, who suffered a heart attack on the night between Saturday and Sunday, was admitted to a listed hospital, but the insurance approval process became an unexpected hurdle.

"Got dad admitted to a hospital for a heart attack... but his cashless insurance is still stuck by the insurance company (despite being a listed hospital) for a different query not related to his heart, with the company asking for 1.5 to 2-year-old general physician's consultation," Mashru wrote on X.

Mashru highlighted the emotional toll on his family, stating, "More than patient care, family's energies are wasted in insurance care." According to him, Tata AIG repeatedly raised the same query regarding an unrelated medical consultation from nearly two years ago, despite receiving clarifications from the hospital and attending doctors.

Frustrated with the lack of progress, Mashru said, "Now the hospital has given up and says you figure out with Tata because we cannot do much." Eventually, his family had to pay out of pocket to ensure that his father’s critical procedures weren’t delayed. 

On February 4, Mashru provided an update, confirming that the initial claim had finally been approved. "Thank you, guys, this initial claim is approved. I will get in with you in DM once I'm free, so that my case can help others too," he wrote.

Mashru’s post comes weeks after the Mumbai-based Association of Medical Consultants (AMC) raised alarms over alleged preferential treatment given to actor Saif Ali Khan regarding the swift approval of his Rs 25 lakh cashless insurance claim.

In its letter to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), the AMC had criticised the disparity between how claims are processed for celebrities versus common citizens. The organization expressed concerns about a pattern where high-profile individuals receive favorable treatment, while ordinary policyholders struggle with delays, insufficient coverage, and bureaucratic hurdles.