MUMBAI: An organization of medical experts has written to insurance regulator IRDAI contesting the "preferential treatment" of celebrities, days after insurance provider Niva Bupa quickly granted a medical insurance claim from actor Saif Ali Khan's family following the horrific attack on him.
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A paper confirming Mr. Khan's mediclaim permission surfaced on social media after he was stabbed during a break-in at his Mumbai residence. The paper states that for the actor's five-day stay, a cashless request for about Rs 36 lakh had been made. The insurance company had approved a payout of Rs 25 lakh in its first clearance. Niva Bupa acknowledged receiving the pre-authorization request and promised to process any additional claims in accordance with the rules.
The chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has received a letter from the Mumbai-based Association of Medical Consultants, which claims to represent more than 14,000 medical professionals and has branches in other cities, regarding the cashless approval for Mr. Khan's care.
As per reports by NDTV, the organisation added, “We are writing to express our concern and dissatisfaction regarding the recent news of Mr Saif Ali Khan being sanctioned Rs 25 lakhs for cashless treatment under his insurance policy, which seems to be a preferential treatment compared to the benefits available to the common policyholders.”
It added, “This instance highlights a troubling trend where celebrities and high-profile individuals and patients with corporate policies receive favorable terms and higher cashless treatment limits, while ordinary citizens struggle with insufficient coverage and low reimbursement rates.”
The Association of Medical Consultants revealed that this kind of prctice creates an “unfair practices".
It further added, “We believe Insurance should be a safeguard for all, irrespective of social status. Preferential treatment based on celebrity status creates a two-tier system, which is discriminatory against ordinary policyholders. There is a need for greater transparency in how insurance claims and cashless treatment limits are determined.”
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After being stabbed six times during a scuffle with an intruder who had come into his house to rob it, Mr. Khan was taken to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on January 16. According to medical professionals, the knife only missed his spinal cord by 2 mm, causing one of his injuries to be on the spine. Mr. Khan underwent surgery to treat his neck and arm wounds as well as his back damage. He was given bed rest for a week after being released last week.
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Credit- NDTV
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