Doctors’ body bans cashless treatment

Mumbai: The stand-off between the medical community and public sector health insurance companies has taken an ugly turn with the Association of Medical Consultants (AMC) indefinitely banning its members from treating patients who wish to avail of the cashless mediclaim cover provided by the PSUs.


The AMC, which has 6,850 members, is the umbrella organisation for doctors and super-specialists who provide treatment in various fields, including but not limited to cardiology, gynaecology and radiology. Many of them also own nursing homes.

The Bombay Nursing Homes Association — the largest such organisation in the city — which is part of the AMC, is also supporting the ban, which follows in the footsteps of the Bombay Ophthalmic Association’s fortnight-old decision to boycott the cashless facility. The latter comprises nearly 1,200 eye specialists in Mumbai.

Now, even those patients due to undergo laparoscopy or orthopaedic surgery will have to pay upfront for treatment. Dr Sujata Rao, president (interim), AMC, said, “We have resolved that the AMC will withdraw cashless services to all patients, including corporates and those treated in nursing homes or private hospitals, with immediate effect”. The decision was taken by the managing committee on August 13.

AMC secretary Dr Sudhir Naik said, “We have asked our members to adhere to this decision as public sector insurance companies have come out with a rate card for 42 types of treatment, without even consulting us. The rates offered to the doctors are ridiculously low and it will be difficult to provide quality treatment under the existing terms and conditions. Insurance companies’ allegations that doctors are inflating the bills are also unfounded”.

The doctors say the rationale behind the ban is simple: rather than accepting the new rates and providing poor-quality healthcare services, they would rather stem the rot by ensuring that these new policies do not gain a foothold in the healthcare sector. Dr Rao said, “We have formed area-wise committees of doctors to request hospitals to opt out of the Preferred Provider Network (PPN). Unless we are united, nobody is going to listen to us. So far, the response has been encouraging as many as 24 hospitals have decided to opt out of PPN after we began our campaign. However, we will continue to provide treatment as per the existing arrangement in emergency and trauma care cases”. Cashless medical facilities restored in 449 hospitals: Govt