To enable seamless, cashless functioning of outpatient treatment (OPD) across the country, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has advised insurance companies to capture the identity (ID) of medical practitioners from a repository for verification while issuing or renewing health policies.
According to IRDAI, insurers can validate their ID from the Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR). “This will enable digitisation and ease the process of buying and selling the Professional Indemnity policies and push for HPR registration among the healthcare professionals,” the regulator said. It will also help in avoiding medical malpractices under professional indemnity cover.
As part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, the National Health Authority (NHA) has incorporated an HPR. Under HPR, a healthcare professional ID (HPID) will be created via Aadhaar or other KYC, along with the medical qualifications of the medical professional which are verified by their respective State Medical Councils.
This HPID serves as a unique ID for the medical practitioners to enable connection with all stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem.
As Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission manages to reach every nook and corner of the country, insurers and TPAs would now be able to empanel verified doctors from far-reaching places. The system will now be able to have a cashless OPD network seamlessly spread across both metropolitans and small towns.
Health insurance is now the largest segment in the non-life insurance sector with gross premium collection touching Rs 51,361 crore during the seven-month period that ended October 2022, with a growth of 21 percent when compared to the previous year.
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