India, March 12 -- While insurance companies and hospitals function on commercial lines, it is essential to ensure that patients are not subjected to unfair practices, said Prakash Abitkar, Maharashtra health minister, during a meeting held on Tuesday with representatives of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), private insurance companies, private hospitals and officials of the state health department.

The meeting was held to discuss the need for a clear mechanism to ensure transparency in medical billing and timely approval of insurance claims.

Abitkar noted that with the increasing number of private hospitals providing advanced healthcare services in cities such as Pune and Mumbai, the number of people ...