Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), M. Nagaraju chaired a high-level meeting on 13 November 2025 with insurers and healthcare providers to address the growing challenges of medical inflation and rising health insurance premiums.
The meeting saw participation from the General Insurance Council, the Association of Healthcare Providers in India (AHPI), senior representatives from major hospital chains including Max Healthcare, Fortis Healthcare and Apollo Hospitals, and leading insurers such as New India Assurance, Star Health Insurance and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, among others.
During the discussion, the Secretary urged insurers and hospitals to accelerate their onboarding onto the National Health Claims Exchange, and to work towards standardised treatment protocols, common empanelment norms, and streamlined cashless claim procedures. These measures, he said, were essential to ensuring that healthcare remains affordable, accessible and transparent.
He stressed that uniform hospital empanelment norms across insurers would not only offer consistent cashless access to policyholders but also reduce the administrative burden on healthcare providers and improve overall service delivery.
Highlighting the need for improved customer experience, Secretary Nagaraju asked insurers to ensure faster turnaround times, especially during hospitalization and claims approvals, so that policyholders receive timely support when they need it most.
Calling medical inflation a multi-layered issue, he underscored the need for closer collaboration between hospitals and insurance companies. Standardisation and cost control, he said, are crucial to bringing transparency, improving efficiency, and ensuring better value for India’s growing base of health insurance policyholders.
Shri Inderjeet Singh, Secretary General, General Insurance Council, Dr. Suneeta Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals, Shri Shivakumar Pattabhiraman, MD, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Shri Abhay Soi, CMD, Max Healthcare, Dr. Girdhar J. Gyani, Director General, AHPI, Shri Krishnan Ramachandran, CEO , Niva Bupa Health Insurance, Shri Amitabh Jain, ED & COO, Star Health Insurance, Smt. Meera Parthasarathy, General Manager, Oriental Insurance Company, participated in the discussions, along with several other stakeholders.
