PIL seeking quashing of G.O on NHIS filed in Madras HC

The Madras High Court today ordered issue of notices to authorities on a PIL seeking to quash the Tamil Nadu government's orders for selecting a suitable public sector health insurance company to implement the New Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) citing arbitrariness in providing treatment.
Hearing the petition by one R Vimala, the division bench comprising Justices Nooty Ramamohana Rao and S S Sundar ordered issue of notice to the Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretaries of Finance, and Health and Family Welfare seeking their reply in eight weeks.
Vimala submitted that though the NHIS is described as a cash-less scheme, the private hospital where she had admitted her son for treatment, had charged her Rs 1.57 lakh.

The insurance company supposed to settle the amount had only paid Rs 7000 towards the medical bill, despite agitations, she alleged.
She further stated that the public sector insurance company which had been entrusted with the task of implementation of the NHIS did not act fairly.
Hence, the state government should stop alloting the task of implementation of the NHIS by way of National competitive bid to the public sector insurance companies which would adversely affect the right of the beneficiaries, Vimala submitted.

She noted that several states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and West bengal have implemented the scheme themselves, which really benefitted the people.

As per the G.O. Issued on April 27, 2012, the implementation of NHIS would be done by a suitable public sector health insurance company which would be chosen through national competitive bidding.
Now the same defective clause, of the G.O. For evolving new HIS from July 1,2016, had been incorporated in the consequent order issued on Jun 9, 2016, she submitted.
Vimala prayed the court to quash the G.Os issued in 2012 and 2016 with regard to the NHIS and direct the government itself to implement the scheme.