Thiruvananthapuram: Finance Minister K N Balagopal has warned that stern action would be taken against hospitals that charge money from patients in violation of the conditions of Medisep, the government’s health insurance scheme. He said that investigations carried out by the government had revealed that some hospitals were misusing health insurance packages by not adhering to the norms.

The government has brought in rules for some unspecified packages to prevent fraudulent practices, the Minister said.

The Medisep scheme, which partners 13 private hospitals outside the State, 323 private and cooperative institutions within the State and 143 government hospitals, completed one year on Saturday.

The Minister noted that beneficiaries have been complaining that claims submitted by hospitals were not being honoured on time by the insurance company.

The complaints are being resolved after taking them up with the insurance company, Mr Balagopal said.

How to use Medisep app

• The application will function on phones with the Android operating system of 8.1 version and above. The app is available on Google Play Store.
• The user must log in with Medisep ID and PPO/PEN number once the application is opened. If the user is a government employee or pensioner, the option “Beneficiary” should be chosen from the list of types. 
• Press the “Generate OTP” icon to receive an OTP on the phone as SMS. Enter the OTP in the box that opens in the app.
• Following this, the user’s Medisep ID and the name of the insurance company will be displayed. Profile, Dependants, Medicard, Claims, Grievances, Empanelled hospitals, Medisep packages, and Contact are the icons to access details on the app.