Govt. may bring health claims
portal under FinMin to tackle inflated costs
The Union government is looking to bring
the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX)--the digital platform used to process
health insurance claims--under the control of the finance ministry and the
insurance regulator in a bid to curb inflated treatment costs by private
hospitals, Reuters reported, citing government sources.
The move is aimed at strengthening
oversight of the portal, which currently operates under the National Health
Authority (NHA) of the ministry of health and family welfare, and improving
transparency in pricing and billing practices across the health insurance sector,
the report added.
Overcharging in hospitals, increased
premiums
According to the report, a joint
analysis by the government and the Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India (IRDAI) found that hospitals were overcharging patients with
higher insurance coverage, leading to increased premiums and reduced
affordability of health insurance for many.
Recent data from the General Insurance
Council show that standalone health insurers collected Rs.9,151
crore in premiums in the first quarter of the financial year 2026, marking a 10
per cent year-on-year increase.
Bringing the portal under financial
regulation could help control spiralling costs, a source told Reuters.
The NHCX was developed in consultation
with IRDAI but is not currently regulated by it. Instead, the insurance
regulator only oversees insurers using the platform.
According to professional service firm
Aon's Global Medical Trend Rates Report 2025, healthcare costs in India are
projected to increase by 13 per cent in 2025, surpassing the global average of
10 per cent and exceeding the 12 per cent increase in 2024.
Meanwhile, growth in health insurance
premium income has slowed to 9 per cent in 2024 25 from over 20 per cent the
previous year, with insurers attributing the dip to rising premiums and falling
renewals, the Reuters report said.
www.business-standard.com,
dt. 11-07-2025