In a bid to encourage more corporate hospitals to join the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the National Health Authority (NHA) has revised the Health Benefits Package (HBP) by introducing a tiered incentive system to make package rates more attractive and viable for private sector healthcare providers.

Despite concerted efforts by the insurance industry, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), and the General Insurance Council, the penetration of general insurance in India remains abysmally low. While a lack of awareness was historically cited as the primary culprit, today’s reality is far more complex. Awareness campaigns like "Bima Bemisaal" have ensured people know about insurance, but awareness alone isn’t leading to action. Why is this the case?

Cancer is a major health concern, affecting a wide cross-section of India’s population. The Indian Cancer Congress (ICC) has highlighted that India is facing a significant increase in the absolute number of new cases annually. In the last decade, the number of cancer diagnoses has surged. Currently, 1.4 million new cancer cases are detected each year, with projections indicating a rise to 2 million by 2040. As per a report by the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) under the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (ICMR-NCDIR) about one in nine people in India will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. This is an alarming situation and needs our urgent attention.

"Sir, your claim has been settled." Rahul blinked at his phone. No endless paperwork, no waiting for a call from the insurer—just a simple notification confirming his insurance claim was processed. He hadn’t even spoken to a human.

India’s health insurance sector stands at a curious crossroads. Despite a population exceeding 1.4 billion and growing economic prosperity, insurance penetration in comparison remains alarmingly low. Only 50 million individuals have personal retail health insurance, leaving a vast majority vulnerable to the risk of financial burden arising out of potential medical exigencies. While this glaring gap is a national challenge, it also presents an opportunity - a chance to expand coverage, drive awareness, and reshape the healthcare landscape of the world’s most populous country

The amount received by an accident victim under a mediclaim policy must be deducted from the total compensation under the head of medical expenses and hospitalisation charges, Karnataka HC has held based on Motor Vehicles Act. Justice Hanchate Sanjeevkumar directed Oriental Insurance Company to pay Rs 4.93 lakh along with interest of 6 percent a year to the family of S Hanumanthappa, a resident of Marathahalli in Bengaluru, after deducting Rs 1.8 lakh he had received from mediclaim.