Devi Shetty’s Narayana Health Rolls Out Insurance Plans in Kolkata

The two plans were introduced through Narayana Health Insurance Ltd (NHIL), a new venture by the Bengaluru-based healthcare chain.

Narayana Health has launched its health insurance products—Aditi and Aditi Plus- in Calcutta, aiming to bridge the trust gap between insurers, hospitals, and patients. The two plans were introduced through Narayana Health Insurance Ltd (NHIL), a new venture by the Bengaluru-based healthcare chain.

The plans were first rolled out in Bengaluru and Mysuru last year. Aditi offers INR 1 crore surgical and INR 5 lakh medical coverage annually for a family of four at INR 12,000. Aditi Plus provides the same surgical coverage but INR 20 lakh for medical treatment, priced at INR 29,000 annually, with private room access. Premiums may vary depending on age and clinical factors.

Policy Focuses on Reimbursement and Discharge Delays

The insurance products aim to resolve common patient complaints, such as delayed discharge and incomplete reimbursements.

“The policy will cover non-medical expenses, and there should not be a waiting period for patients after discharge,” said Ravi Vishwanath, director, NHIL. He added, “In this case, the mistrust issue will be removed since the same healthcare group owns the insurance company and hospital.”

Although designed for Narayana Health’s 20-hospital network, the scheme allows treatment outside the group if needed. “If the treatment is not available at NH hospitals or in cities where the group doesn’t have presence, we will request cashless facilities from other hospitals. If rejected, we will reimburse the consumer post-hospitalisation,” Vishwanath said.

Focus on India's “Missing Middle”

Founder Dr. Devi Shetty said the scheme targets the “missing middle”—around 100 million people with some disposable income but no government coverage.

“The scheme is aimed at removing inequality in healthcare access for people who cannot afford quality treatment because of affordability issues,” Shetty had said after the initial launch.

A government insurance official noted, “The moment patients go to hospitals which are not under the healthcare group that is also the insurer, then the trust issue will crop up, along with the usual problems of delay and partial reimbursement on the pretext of not following treatment protocols.”

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