Mediclaim: City hospitals sign package deals with insurers

NEW DELHI: In the first sign of high-end hospitals yielding to pressure from insurers to rein in their charges, at least 50 in Delhi and the national capital region — including Ganga Ram and the Metro chain — have in the last five days signed package deals with insurance companies to continue to benefit from the cashless mediclaim facility. Insurers had stopped direct payments to them from July 1, 2010, claiming they were over-billing.

Major hospital chains — including Apollo, Fortis, Ganga Ram, Max, Metro and Medicity — had then protested and refused to sign the new package deals that meant accepting much lower charges for treatments than their existing rates.

‘‘Apollo and Moolchand have expressed keenness to get on board, while we have asked CEOs and CFOs of other major hospitals to give their rates. We may show some flexibility depending on the facilities they provide,’’ said Pawan Bhalla, CEO of Raksha TPA, the third party administrator which is a facilitator between the insured and the insurer.