Need Expert Advice?Our Gurus Can Help

Ramalingam Kalirajan |7101 Answers |Ask -Follow

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Apr 05, 2024

Ramalingam Kalirajan has over 23 years of experience in mutual funds and financial planning.
He has an MBA in finance from the University of Madras and is a certified financial planner.
He is the director and chief financial planner at Holistic Investment, a Chennai-based firm that offers financial planning and wealth management advice.... more

Question by Chandan on Jul 07, 2023Hindi

My father is 89 years old and has recurring abdominal pain from last few months. In Apr'23 he was admitted in one private hospital at our locality and admitted for 7 days due to the pain issue. Various tests were conducted including blood tests, CT scan, fibroscopy and endoscopy, no major issues observed except some liver irregularities and discharged after providing certain oral medication. The cashless benefits are obtained through corporate TPA (EWA). However after certain weeks intermittently severe pain recur for almost a week and this time, on first week of July, my father was taken to Kolkata at a hospital specific to liver and digestive treatment. As advised by doctor he was admitted and again various tests are conducted including blood and stool culture, LFT, CT scan and colonoscopy..But this time also no major issues observed and he was discharged after certain medications, which differs from earlier hospital medicines. But this time claim is denied by TPA (EWA) stating that the admission is done only for investigation and observations and no line of treatment was done.. although new medicines are prescribed in the discharge summary and along with that IV fluid and some other medicines were regularly given during his stay in hospital. As TPA has denied the claim, I have to pay the entire amount in spite of paying a hefty amount of premium for my father. Can you pls suggest, why the claim is denied and whether there is any possibility of reimbursement of the claim by any means?

Ans: I'm sorry to hear about your father's health issues and the challenges you're facing with the insurance claim. The denial of the claim by the TPA (Third Party Administrator) could be due to several reasons, including discrepancies in documentation, interpretation of policy terms, or classification of the treatment as investigational rather than therapeutic.

To address this issue and explore the possibility of reimbursement, here are some steps you can take:

Review Policy Documents: Carefully review the terms and conditions of your father's health insurance policy to understand the coverage and exclusions. Pay attention to the criteria for claim eligibility and the definition of covered treatments.

Seek Clarification: Contact the TPA or the insurance provider to seek clarification on why the claim was denied. Request detailed information on the specific reasons for denial and ask for clarification on any policy terms that are unclear.

Gather Documentation: Gather all relevant medical records, including discharge summaries, prescription details, invoices, and receipts for medications and treatments provided during the hospital stay. Ensure that the documentation clearly demonstrates the medical necessity and therapeutic nature of the treatment received.

Appeal the Decision: If you believe that the denial was incorrect or unjustified, consider filing an appeal with the insurance company. Provide supporting documentation and any additional information that may strengthen your case for claim reimbursement. Follow the appeal process outlined by the insurance provider and submit the appeal within the specified timeframe.

Consult an Expert: If necessary, consider seeking assistance from a healthcare advocate or insurance specialist who can help navigate the appeals process and advocate on your behalf. They may offer valuable insights and assistance in presenting your case effectively.

Explore Legal Options: If all attempts to resolve the issue through the appeals process are unsuccessful, you may consider seeking legal advice to explore further options, such as mediation or legal action, to resolve the dispute.

It's important to remain persistent and proactive in pursuing reimbursement for legitimate medical expenses. Keep thorough records of all communications and documentation related to the claim, and continue to advocate for your father's rights as a policyholder.

DISCLAIMER: The content of this post by the expert is the personal view of the rediffGURU. Users are advised to pursue the information provided by the rediffGURU only as a source of information to be as a point of reference and to rely on their own judgement when making a decision.

MoneyReply

You may like to see similar questions and answers below

Sanjib Jha | Answer |Ask -Follow

Insurance Expert - Answered on Jun 21, 2022

Question by S - Jun 21, 2022Hindi

Dear Sir, Greetings of the day. I have got a health insurance of family floater type from Tata AIG for a sum of four lakhs. Recently, I got hospitalised and full four lakhs was paid by Tata Aig. But my hospital bill was six lakhs and sixty two thousand. So there was a shortfall of two lakhs sixty-two thousands. I have an Aditya Birla health Policy of family floater type for 45 lakhs. But it will come in to effect after 5 lakhs expenditure. So I myself paid one lakh from my pocket. And for rest one lakh sixty two thousand only I applied for cashless to Aditya Birla .But they denied it. Finally I paid that amount myself and came home. Afterwards I kept continuous follow up with them. Reconsideration and reminder letter was sent by TPA and Treating doctor. But again it was rejected. Now Aditya Birla employee is saying apply for reimbursement. When Tata Aig is clearing full amount, how come Aditya Birla is denying it? And how can I bridge the gap one lakh between two policies? Tata Aig says you have taken full claim so we cannot make your limit from four to five lakhs this year. Pls advise suitably. Best Wishes

Ans: Hi Mr. Tripathi, greetings to you. To answer your first question as to why Aditya Birla won’t provide you with cashless claim as opposed to TATA AIG is because the policy you bought from Aditya Birla is a ‘Super top up plan’ which basically means it is an addition to your base policy which in your case is your TATA AIG policy.

Super top up policies do not offer cashless claims but only provide reimbursements.

The one lakh gap, unfortunately, cannot be filled at this point. However, while renewing your policy you can opt for increased sum insured with TATA AIG. The insurer will ask you a set of questions and schedule medicals to analyse your risk profile. Post that based on your reports, the insurer will take a decision on increasing the limit.

Money

Sanjib Jha | Answer |Ask -Follow

Insurance Expert - Answered on Nov 24, 2022

Question by Mittal - Nov 24, 2022Hindi

I have been operated for Wilson's disease for my liver. I got admitted in Nov 21 and got discharged in Dec 21. My insurance company paid all expenses up to Sum insured and the same got exhausted in Dec 21 and then I renewed the policy in Jan 22. As per my Policy I am eligible for claiming 60-days medical expenses post hospitalisation and submitting the bills but the TPA is repudiated it with remarks that not eligible as the treatment done in 2021 and bills for 2022 are not admissible though the insurance company is same. Please help to know how do I tackle it and is there any alternate possibility.

Ans: Hi Mittal, as far as I have understood your query, your sum insured exhausted during the hospitalisation process. Once the sum insured is exhausted, you cannot claim post hospitalisation bills.

However, if your sum insured was not completely exhausted, you would have got the claim for post hospitalisation even if the bills were dated in Jan 2022, i.e. within 60 days of discharge.

Money

Sanjib Jha | Answer |Ask -Follow

Insurance Expert - Answered on Dec 22, 2022