About 18 insurance companies have withdrawn the cashless mediclaim policy facility and stopped direct payment of treatment charges to high-end hospitals from July 1. Had there been a breach of trust between the mediclaim policy holders and the insurers? Mediclaim policy holders who want to avail the facilities at hospitals like Ganga Ram, Max or Medicity, Apollo, Fortis will now have to pay. This is a fight between hospitals and insurance firms and the middle class are at a disadvantage. The health insurance market in India would suffer a lot. But why should the policy holders suffer?

IRDA has decided to examine this issue after discussing with the concerned stakeholders.