AHPI revokes suspension of cashless services for Bajaj Allianz policyholders

The Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) has announced the revocation of the suspension on cashless services for Bajaj Allianz General Insurance policyholders. This decision follows a meeting on 28 August 2025, involving AHPI members and senior representatives from Bajaj Allianz. The suspension was initially set to commence on 1 September 2025, affecting all member hospitals in North India. According to the AHPI's circular, "After intense discussion, there was broad agreement on all the issues. The Bajaj Allianz agreed to submit para-vice formal actions to AHPI by 29th September 2025." 

Dr. Girdhar Gyani, Director General of AHPI, expressed the organisation's objective, stating: "Our goal is to engage in constructive dialogue with the insurers to resolve issues in the larger interest of patients. We urge all the insurers to work in partnership with hospitals and restore cashless services at member hospitals, as the disruption is placing an unfair financial and emotional burden on patients." The move is expected to alleviate the potential disruption faced by policyholders in accessing healthcare services.

Bajaj Allianz has agreed to meet AHPI's conditions, as reflected in the statement, "In view of the discussions, Bajaj Allianz agreed to this and has restored cashless services with member hospitals." Tapan Kumar Singhel, Chairman of the General Insurance Council, commented, "We are pleased that the matter has been resolved in the interest of policyholders and citizens who must never face interruptions in their access to cashless healthcare. Cashless access is the backbone of health insurance and should never be compromised."

Care Health Insurance, which was also mentioned in the original suspension advisory, clarified through Dr. Gyani that its services had not been halted, noting, "We had not suspended the services for Care. We had only asked for an explanation, and they have submitted the reply." In response, the General Insurance Council had previously criticised the AHPI's approach as "arbitrary, lacking clarity or actionable details." Previously, Singhel of Bajaj Allianz had assured stakeholders, "We have always stood for what’s good for the citizens of our country, and no undue pressure will buckle us down, and none of our customers will suffer. As of now, we have not received a single case of denial of cashless service."

The AHPI's advisory highlighted several issues, including outdated payment rates, claim denials, and lengthy pre-authorisation processes. It was noted that "leading to undue financial stress on the hospitals. Hence, AHPI members have been informed that unless they reduce rates, cashless services will be stopped." Additionally, the advisory pointed out the challenges hospitals face, such as "During cashless authorisation, certain items like implants are left open. However, when the bill is presented, even for implants with reputed manufacturers, the cost is disputed."