Indian health industry seeks extension of insurance coverage

India's medical industry wants the extension of health insurance coverage of Indians staying in America so that they can get treatment at a much lower cost in India.     

The issue is expected to be seriously taken up by the representatives of the India's health care industry who would be participating at the 27th annual convention of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin or AAPI.     

Representatives of the Indian health care industry along with leaders of business chamber FICCI intend to take up this issue with US health insurance companies who would be participating at the five-day AAPI convention at the famous Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel.     

"We want these insurance companies to start recognising the treatment in India as part of the medical coverage so that there is a comfort level for these people to go there and get treated. Also it is a lot of cost saving," said FICCI's Ranjana Khanna.     

With a rapid increase in the population of Indian Americans and increase in the number of people from the US visiting India every year, it is about time that America's health insurance be recognized in India. This would be an important issue of discussion for the representatives of India's health care sector at the AAPI convention.

Experts point out that there has been an initial beginning in this regard. Last year, Blue Cross - one of the largest health insurance companies in the US - signed an agreement with Apollo Group of Hospitals so as to honour their insurances in Apollo hospitals. This is just a beginning, more needs to be done, they said.     

One of the major stumbling blocks for the US health insurance companies recognising medical treatment in India has been the lack of necessary confidence. They are still trying to gain the confidence in the Indian market.     

Secondly, they are also apprehensive of the liability clauses in the US; meaning, if something goes wrong and they are sued by the patient - how that issue be handled by the US American companies as the liability here is very high, experts say.