Insurers want a single empanelment system to make cashless treatment smoother for patients. Hospitals are skeptical, arguing the change could complicate billing, approvals, and operational workflows, effectively delaying care. ET Prime decodes the impact on hospitals, the insurance ecosystem, and the end customer—where the promised simplicity may not land evenly.
India’s insurance regulator has rolled out a common empanelment system that asks all general insurers to onboard hospitals together under standardized terms and rates. Modeled on PMJAY-style empanelment, it could reshape bargaining power, reduce billing variation, and pressure insurers’ hospital costs. But the real impact on premiums and claims depends on adoption and contract enforcement.
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