New Delhi, April 27 -- The impossible trinity, or trilemma, holds that a country cannot simultaneously maintain a fixed exchange rate, free capital movement, and an independent monetary policy; policymakers must prioritise two at the expense of the third.

A strikingly similar trilemma sits at the heart of health insurance: the insurer's duty to settle claims sustainably, the hospital's duty to deliver effective, patient-centred care while earning a fair return, and the customer's demand for affordability. Like the economic trilemma, this cannot be resolved by decree. All stakeholders must recognise that a functioning healthcare ecosystem is a shared asset, and that each has a clearly defined role in preserving it.

Insurer's sustainabili...