Dear Editor,
National insurance company has issued identity card to their insured and the cashless facility is not restricted to specified major diseases provided the treatment is availed from their panel of approved hospitals/Nursing homes.
The insured also get an advance payment to meet immediate medical expenditure as the hospital requires the patient to pay an advance at the time of admission. TPA while settling the bill with the hospital/ Nursing home will as per SEC 194 J ( 1 ) of the IT Act deduct from the bill 10 % towards TDS . SEC 194 J ( 1) of IT Act says that any company or any other entity who is paying any fees for professional services will have to deduct 10 % of such sum as income tax at the time of payment.LIC should take up this matter of cashless facility with New India assurance Company to fall in line with National insurance CO which is also a GOI undertaking. I may add that one of my friends an insured with National availed the cashless facility for her Cataract operation for both her eyes simultaneously and the hospital bill came to around RS 60 thousand.
R.K.Viswanathan