For Want of a Rubber Stamp
We have all heard the saying: “For want of a nail, the battle was lost. But ”Can a genuine medical claim be lost for want of a nail ?" Yes “For want of a rubber stamp, a genuine medical claim is lost!”
It may sound amusing, but for a patient waiting for reimbursement, or even for delivery of medicines it can be anything but amusing. The stamp of a Rubber Seal is very vital as Insurance Companies, third party Agents. pharaceutical companies andb shop keepers are at times highly rule conscious more than work consciousness and ethics involved. The concept of processing assumes such an importance that they can refuse to settle the claim or supply the medicines as bills or prescriptions miss the stamping of the rubber seal.
A person undergoes genuine treatment. The hospital records are available. The doctor has prescribed the medicines. The medicines have actually been purchased. Payment has actually been made—perhaps through UPI, card or bank transfer. Yet the claim may face rejection because a hospital document or pharmacy bill does not carry a particular stamp or signature.
The natural question is: Should the genuineness of an expenditure depend more on a rubber stamp than on evidence that the expenditure actually took place? Of course, proper documentation is necessary. It protects institutions against fraudulent, inflated and duplicate claims.But documentation should help establish the truth, not prevent the truth from being established.
The need of the hour is to bring efficiency in the system, enhance values and ethics and improve the quality of service and benefit from the AI , Technology and Humanitarian considerations from the angle of overall welfare. Who can guarantee this and there is no insurance for guaranteed service so far.
Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavanthu.
T V G Krishnan
(Personal Views).
