For Patients, Of Patients, By Patients

India didn’t ignore financial intermediation in healthcare. It was built carefully. Insurance brokers. TPAs. Claims managers. Corporate health desks. Entire ecosystems exist to manage risk, pricing, and payouts. Billions of rupees move through these systems every year with precision and negotiation. But there is one conspicuous absence. The patient. Insurance broking solved a specific problem Insurance brokers exist because insurance is complex. Policies differ. Clauses matte

Most patients don’t worry about co-pay. Ten percent sounds manageable. Reasonable. Almost comforting. “If insurance covers 90%, we’ll handle the rest.” That assumption is where the problem begins. Because in hospital billing, 10% rarely behaves like 10%. What co-pay is supposed to mean In theory, co-pay is simple. Insurance covers a fixed percentage of approved costs. The patient pays the remainder. It sounds predictable. Controlled. Transparent. But hospital billing doesn’t

Most patients believe they chose  an expensive hospital. They remember the moment clearly. A recommendation from a doctor. A name everyone trusts. A facility that feels “safe.” In hindsight, when the bill arrives, they blame the choice. But in reality, very few patients actively choose high hospital costs. They are priced into them. Choice in healthcare is rarely free choice Healthcare decisions don’t happen in a vacuum. They happen under stress, uncertainty, and urgency. Pat

It often comes as a shock to families when they discover that two patients, treated in the same hospital  for the same medical condition , walk away with very different hospital bills . This disparity is not accidental: it is the result of several hidden factors that most patients are unaware of until it’s too late. Understanding why hospital bills vary so widely is crucial for anyone seeking  cashless claims, optimizing insurance, negotiating with hospitals , or simply makin

Very few people make hospital decisions calmly. They make them while anxious.While worried about outcomes.While processing unfamiliar medical language.While trying to protect their family. In that state, the priority is care — not cost. That’s understandable. It’s human. But it’s also where many financial problems quietly begin. Healthcare decisions are made under stress. Pricing decisions shouldn’t be. Why stress changes how patients decide Stress narrows focus. When someone

Indians are among the most skilled financial negotiators in the world. We question interest rates. We renegotiate rents. We compare EMIs, insurance premiums, fund expense ratios and brokerage fees. We switched plans to save a few hundred rupees a month. We hunt for cashback, debate over subscriptions, and proudly brag about discounts on flights and dining. We hire property brokers to negotiate real estate transactions and wealth advisors to optimise our investments. And yet,