Health insurance policyholders often focus on coverage, exclusions and whether a particular treatment will be accepted under their policy. However, another important aspect is the time an insurer can take to process certain cashless requests and discharge-related decisions.

According to the provided information, insurance regulator IRDAI has laid down timelines intended to make health insurance claim handling faster and more policyholder-friendly. The rules highlighted in the report cover cashless pre-authorisation, discharge approval, long-standing policies and Insurance Ombudsman-related cases.

For policyholders, understanding these timelines can be particularly useful during hospitalisation, when delays in insurance approval can create both financial and emotional pressure.

Cashless Pre-Authorisation Request Should Be Handled Quickly

When a patient is admitted to a network hospital and seeks cashless treatment, the hospital generally sends a pre-authorisation request to the health insurer.

According to the provided information, the insurer is expected to attend to such a cashless pre-authorisation request as quickly as possible and within one hour.

This timeline can be important because the hospital may need confirmation from the insurer before proceeding with the cashless process.

However, the one-hour timeline should not be misunderstood as a guarantee that every medical treatment or hospitalisation will automatic