Irda amends health insurance standardisation norms
Just a couple of days after standardisation guidelines for the health
insurance sector became effective, sector regulator Irda announced some amendments on July 3, 2013.
Just a couple of days after standardisation guidelines for the health insurance sector became effective, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority announced some amendments on 3 July 2013.
Of the 46 standardised terminologies for health insurance, the regulator has revised 19. Some changes just rectify typographical or grammatical errors.
For instance, the original definition of 'unproven/experimental treatment' missed a 'not', changing the scope of the rule. The revised definition now reads: "Treatment including drug experimental therapy which is not based on established medical practice in India, is treatment experimental or unproven."
The amended guidelines also have a few major additions and omissions. The definition of 'dependent child' has been deleted from the list of standardised terminologies. So, insurers are now free to interpret this in their own way.
Under the new norms, an establishment registered with the local authorities does not have any minimum in-patient bed requirement. The requirement of having at least 10 in-patient beds in towns (with a population less than 10 lakh) and 15 inpatient beds in other places is mandatory for unregistered hospitals only.
The definition of 'medical practitioners' has been expanded to include people registered under the Central Council of Indian Medicine or the Central Council of Homoeopathy or any similar council set up by the government. Portability has also been redefined to exclude switching of plans with the same insurer.
Relaxations have been made for maternity expenses or treatment. Maternity expenses would now mean any medical treatment or expense traceable to childbirth, including caesarean sections during hospitalisation and lawful abortions during the policy period. Earlier, the benefit was restricted to two deliveries or abortions either during the policy term or lifetime of the insured.
On the flip side, expenses incurred before or after deliveries as well as abortions have been excluded from maternity expenses. The term 'newborn baby' now includes adopted children.
Of the 46 standardised terminologies for health insurance, the regulator has revised 19. Some changes just rectify typographical or grammatical errors.
For instance, the original definition of 'unproven/experimental treatment' missed a 'not', changing the scope of the rule. The revised definition now reads: "Treatment including drug experimental therapy which is not based on established medical practice in India, is treatment experimental or unproven."
The amended guidelines also have a few major additions and omissions. The definition of 'dependent child' has been deleted from the list of standardised terminologies. So, insurers are now free to interpret this in their own way.
Under the new norms, an establishment registered with the local authorities does not have any minimum in-patient bed requirement. The requirement of having at least 10 in-patient beds in towns (with a population less than 10 lakh) and 15 inpatient beds in other places is mandatory for unregistered hospitals only.
The definition of 'medical practitioners' has been expanded to include people registered under the Central Council of Indian Medicine or the Central Council of Homoeopathy or any similar council set up by the government. Portability has also been redefined to exclude switching of plans with the same insurer.
Relaxations have been made for maternity expenses or treatment. Maternity expenses would now mean any medical treatment or expense traceable to childbirth, including caesarean sections during hospitalisation and lawful abortions during the policy period. Earlier, the benefit was restricted to two deliveries or abortions either during the policy term or lifetime of the insured.
On the flip side, expenses incurred before or after deliveries as well as abortions have been excluded from maternity expenses. The term 'newborn baby' now includes adopted children.
