 "Soon, share electronic medical record with insurers")
Electronic Medical Record (EMR) which would enable healthcare providers to have a coded intergrated health care system has been a process mooted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
With EMR being in place, all medical records of customers will be available in an electronic format. However, sharing of this data with insurance companies could still be some time away.
Sevantika Bhandari, Director Marketing, Max Bupa Health Insurance said that the system would enable a seamless integration, quicker access of patient’s data and will help in bettering the underwriting and claims processes. Most importantly with the consumers in focus it would help further strengthening customer service experience.
According to the April 2013 recommendations of EMR Standards Committee, constituted by an order of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and coordinated by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on its behalf, patients will have the privileges to restrict access to and disclosure of individually identifiable health information.
Sanjay Datta, head-underwriting and claims at ICICI Lombard General Insurance said that access to customer data would follow an implementation pathway. He added that setting a standard for the medical system in India was a positive move and they, as an insurer, could ask for particular data, as and when, it would be necessary.
EMR is a repository of information regarding the health of an individual that is stored in an electronic form and can be transmitted from one user to the user, in an authorised format and code. EMR stores different data including a patient's detailed medical history, hospital charges, health insurance details among others.
Datta explained that in the long term, EMR would not only have standard formatted data, but also would reduce healthcare costs. "Accurate pricing for particular ailments can be enabled with an EMR," he added.
However, the EMR Standards Committee recommendations do not mention explicitly that this medical data can be shared with insurance companies. A senior official of a private general insurance company said that taking into account the privacy issues of customers, insurers would not be given immediate access to information. The official explained that further only few hospitals have begun to digitise data, since it involves financial costs and administrative expenses.
Adding to this, Amarnath Ananthanarayanan, MD & CEO, Bharti AXA General Insurance that EMR would contain a lot of personal data, apart from medical data. "In cashless policies, hospitals can share data to insurers. However, in reimbursement policies, the health-care provider would not know which is the insurance company providing the cover. Hence, in this case, they may not be able to share data," he said.
The EMR Standards Committee has been constituted to study and recommend coding procedures for coding of hospitals, healthcare providers, healthcare professionals, drug manufacturers, healthcare providers and insurance companies.
With EMR being in place, all medical records of customers will be available in an electronic format. However, sharing of this data with insurance companies could still be some time away.
Sevantika Bhandari, Director Marketing, Max Bupa Health Insurance said that the system would enable a seamless integration, quicker access of patient’s data and will help in bettering the underwriting and claims processes. Most importantly with the consumers in focus it would help further strengthening customer service experience.
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However, she added that this could take time. "We need to be cognizant of the fact that this would not happen overnight, and will require investment of time and resource but once implemented it would help bolster the growth and penetration of two important sectors- healthcare and health insurance," said Bhandari.
According to the April 2013 recommendations of EMR Standards Committee, constituted by an order of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and coordinated by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on its behalf, patients will have the privileges to restrict access to and disclosure of individually identifiable health information.
Sanjay Datta, head-underwriting and claims at ICICI Lombard General Insurance said that access to customer data would follow an implementation pathway. He added that setting a standard for the medical system in India was a positive move and they, as an insurer, could ask for particular data, as and when, it would be necessary.
EMR is a repository of information regarding the health of an individual that is stored in an electronic form and can be transmitted from one user to the user, in an authorised format and code. EMR stores different data including a patient's detailed medical history, hospital charges, health insurance details among others.
Datta explained that in the long term, EMR would not only have standard formatted data, but also would reduce healthcare costs. "Accurate pricing for particular ailments can be enabled with an EMR," he added.
However, the EMR Standards Committee recommendations do not mention explicitly that this medical data can be shared with insurance companies. A senior official of a private general insurance company said that taking into account the privacy issues of customers, insurers would not be given immediate access to information. The official explained that further only few hospitals have begun to digitise data, since it involves financial costs and administrative expenses.
Adding to this, Amarnath Ananthanarayanan, MD & CEO, Bharti AXA General Insurance that EMR would contain a lot of personal data, apart from medical data. "In cashless policies, hospitals can share data to insurers. However, in reimbursement policies, the health-care provider would not know which is the insurance company providing the cover. Hence, in this case, they may not be able to share data," he said.
The EMR Standards Committee has been constituted to study and recommend coding procedures for coding of hospitals, healthcare providers, healthcare professionals, drug manufacturers, healthcare providers and insurance companies.