Overview

• The government has formally proposed transferring the National Health Claims Exchange from the health ministry’s National Health Authority to the finance ministry under IRDAI regulation.
• A joint analysis by the government and IRDAI found that hospitals are inflating treatment costs and overcharging patients with higher insurance coverage.
• Professional services firm Aon forecasts that healthcare costs in India will rise 13% in 2025, outpacing the global average and driving premium increases.
• Annual health insurance premium growth slowed to 9% in 2024–25 from over 20% the previous year as rising costs eroded policy affordability and renewal rates.
• The proposal, which needs inter-ministerial approval, seeks to standardize billing practices and strengthen insurers’ collective bargaining power on treatment rates.