Insurance companies to communicate approval to hospitals within 30-60 minutes.

On 28th April, 2021 the High Court of Delhi passed an order directing insurance companies to ensure that approvals are communicated to hospitals and medical institutions within a maximum time period of 30 to 60 minutes. This is being done to expedite discharge of patients affected with COVID and make beds available sooner.

Relevant extracts of the said order have been reproduced below-

“The IRDAI is directed to issue immediate instructions to insurance companies/their agents to ensure that whenever requests are received for approval for discharge of patients who were affected by COVID-19 and are covered by insurance policies, no delay occurs in giving the approvals. Insurance companies/their agents be directed to communicate their approvals to the concerned hospitals/establishments within a maximum time period of 30 to 60 minutes, in order to ensure that the discharge of the patients is not delayed in any manner. “