AHPI, GIC hold strategic dialogue to improve patient care, streamline healthcare processes

New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) The Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) on Thursday hosted a high-level meeting with the General Insurance Council, bringing together senior leaders from healthcare and insurance sectors to discuss initiatives aimed at enhancing patient care and operational efficiency.

The meeting was attended by AHPI Director General Dr Girdhar Gyani and AHPI Treasurer Dr Atul Kapoor, besides representatives from 15-member hospitals.

The discussions focused on key areas such as establishing a common empanelment framework for hospitals across insurers, adherence to uniform billing standards, adoption of Standard Treatment Guidelines, validation of new medical technologies, integration with the National Health Claims Exchange, and improving the patient journey through faster processes such as pre-authorisation within one hour and discharge within three hours.

There was a strong consensus between healthcare providers and insurers on most issues, reflecting a shared commitment to making healthcare services faster, more transparent, and more efficient, the AHPI said in a statement.

On the matter of common empanelment, there was agreement on principle that once a hospital is empanelled with one insurer, it should automatically be empanelled with all participating insurers at the same tariff.

However, concerns remain regarding the process for fixing tariffs for new empanelments and certain clauses in the proposal, the statement said.

The AHPI will review the document in detail and seek legal opinion before progressing discussions with General Insurance Council (GIC).

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, AHPI Director General Dr Girdhar Gyani said, "Our discussions with GIC mark an important step toward building a more efficient and patient-friendly healthcare ecosystem. We are committed to working together with insurers to remove bottlenecks, set fair processes, and ensure timely access to care for patients across the country." The meeting concluded with the agreement to hold such discussions regularly, further strengthening collaboration between healthcare providers and insurers.

The next meeting will be hosted by GIC in Mumbai, where progress on these initiatives will be reviewed, the statement said. PTI PLB RUK RUK