Friday, April 10, 2015

Sector Update: Insurance

Sector Update: Insurance

After 7 years wait, Indian parliament has approved long pending insurance bill. According to insurance bill, now FDI has been raised to 49% from 26% with Indian ownership control. Penalty for non compliance raised to 25 crore. It is Modi govt’s first major reform sign. Industry expert hopes that this insurance bill help bring in over Rs 50,000 crore in fresh capital which will stimulate the insurance sector.

From 1st April 2015, the premium rates for third party motor insurance cover has been raised after issuing new draft by IRDA. IRDA is also planning new investment norms for general insurance companies. According to new norms, investment limit in securities other than those approved would be now 10% earlier it was 25% of total premium collected in a fiscal. It may reduce the earning of general insurance companies.

The Bombay High Court has asked to IRDA to ensure that insurance companies should not involve TPA in the claim settlement. As per ruling of health insurance, allowing or rejecting claim should decide by insurance companies not by the TPA.

According to British Medical Journal, India’s private healthcare sector treating patients as revenue generators. Doctors get Rs 30,000 to 40,000 to refer patients for angioplasty. Unnecessary tests are being carried out and fabricated reports were generated. Large sums were paid for the same only to fill the pockets of referring doctors and pathologists. There is serious need for stringent, transparent and mandatory regulation.

IRDA said that insurance companies can appoint individual agents on their own from 1st April 2015. As per current practice, IRDA grants license to a person to become an agent of insurance company. After the new norms, whole licensing systems will go.

To bring more transparency, IRDA is planning to treat health insurance as a stand alone segment. As per current rule health insurance come under non life insurance category. Now, separate regulation will be made by IRDA for medical insurance.

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Warm regards,
Arvind Trivedi
Certified Financial Planner

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