India, Oct. 7 -- Insured patients in the city face difficulties accessing the benefits of "cashless everywhere," an ambitious initiative launched by the General Insurance Council (GIC). The low rates offered to non-network hospitals and the discrepancy in the amount received compared to the approved amount have made hospitals reluctant to provide cashless everywhere service, hospitals claim.

In January this year, the GIC launched the "cashless everywhere" initiative. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) also issued the 'master circular on health insurance products' in June and asked general/health insurers to offer a wider range of products to customers, including those with all types of existing medical co...