Apollo Plans New Clinics and Cancer Care Facilities Under Expansion Strategy
Apollo Hospitals is expanding its healthcare network with plans to launch new company-owned clinics and add hospital capacity across India.
The group has commissioned five new hospitals with around 1,000 census beds, of which approximately 380 beds are already operational. The remaining 620 beds are expected to become functional over the next 12 to 18 months.
Apollo plans to add more than 5,800 beds over the next five years. The expansion pipeline includes projects in Chennai, Varanasi, Mumbai, Ranchi, Indore and Delhi.
The company is also developing specialised cancer-care facilities, including a 600-bed Delhi Cancer Centre with Proton therapy and a 140-bed comprehensive cancer-care facility with Proton therapy in Hyderabad.
Apollo Health & Lifestyle is expected to launch a few company-owned clinics by the end of FY27. The group also expanded its diagnostics portfolio by adding around 50 new specialty diagnostic tests during the first quarter of FY27.
New Cashless Hospital Admission Guidelines Raise Industry Debate
The General Insurance Council has issued a clinical advisory on hospital admissions for health insurance claims, aiming to reduce unnecessary hospitalisation while ensuring appropriate use of cashless facilities.
The advisory states that admission decisions should be based on medical necessity rather than fever alone. It recommends outpatient management for uncomplicated fever cases and identifies conditions where hospitalisation may be required, including breathing difficulty, dehydration, organ dysfunction, altered consciousness and serious complications.
The guidelines also consider special situations involving elderly patients with comorbidities, children with severe symptoms and patients showing warning signs such as bleeding or repeated vomiting.
The council stated that the advisory is based on recommendations from medical organisations and government bodies. It clarified that the document is not mandatory and clinical judgement will continue to guide treatment decisions.
Doctors have expressed concerns that guidelines should not restrict genuine claims or delay necessary medical care.
Star Health Insurance Net Profit Rises 25% to Rs. 550 Crore
Star Health and Allied Insurance reported a 25% increase in net profit to Rs. 550 crore for the first quarter ended June 2026 compared with Rs. 438 crore in the same period last year.
The standalone health insurer’s total income increased to Rs. 4,471 crore from Rs. 3,990 crore, while gross written premium grew 19% to Rs. 4,287 crore.
The company’s underwriting profit improved significantly to Rs. 111 crore compared with Rs. 16 crore in the previous year’s quarter, reflecting stronger operating performance.
Star Health settled 9.6 lakh claims during the quarter, with its retail claims settlement ratio improving to 91%.
However, the insurer’s solvency ratio declined to 209% from 222% a year earlier, though it remained above regulatory requirements.
The company attributed its performance to sustainable growth, improved underwriting profitability and stronger operational discipline.
Companies Introduce Cancer Top-Up Covers for Employees
Indian companies are expanding employee health benefits by introducing specialised cancer insurance covers alongside traditional group medical insurance policies.
AstraZeneca Pharma India has become the first company in India to purchase a group cancer care policy covering nearly 25,000 employees and their families. The policy supplements existing group health insurance and provides additional protection after the base cover is exhausted.
Most corporate health policies provide coverage of Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh, while cancer treatment expenses can significantly exceed these limits. The additional cover aims to address this protection gap and cover certain cancer-related treatments.
The product was structured by Howden India Insurance Brokers with a private insurer and allows employers to select additional cancer coverage limits.
Industry experts said demand for specialised employee benefits is increasing, with companies also showing greater interest in outpatient care and wellness solutions alongside traditional medical insurance.
Health Insurance Reforms Must Address Healthcare Costs, Not Only Rates
India’s proposed health insurance reforms aim to improve transparency and affordability through standardised treatment rates, common insurance coverage and wider adoption of the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX). However, industry experts believe reforms must address the broader cost structure of healthcare delivery.
Gurmeet Singh, Vice President and Head-Health Underwriting at IFFCO-TOKIO General Insurance, said standardised treatment costs and a common claims platform could improve efficiency and reduce healthcare expenses. He highlighted that uniform pricing across hospitals could help control tertiary and speciality care costs.
However, NATHEALTH Secretary General Siddhartha Bhattacharya stressed that healthcare reforms must also consider expenses related to land, manpower, compliance requirements, delayed payments and fraud prevention.
Experts believe the NHCX can improve coordination between insurers, hospitals and third-party administrators by creating standardised processes. Successful implementation will require proper integration across stakeholders to improve affordability and policyholder experience.
Star Health Expects 50% Growth in Home Healthcare Services
Star Health and Allied Insurance expects its Home Health Care initiative to grow by more than 50% over the next year as customers increasingly seek accessible medical services at home.
Launched in 2024, the programme provides cashless healthcare services for conditions including fever, infectious diseases, respiratory infections, gastritis and urinary tract infections. The initiative recorded around 600% year-on-year growth in customer usage during the first quarter of FY27.
The service has expanded from fewer than 200 cities last year to 300 cities currently. Star Health delivered nearly 50,000 consultations under the programme during the quarter.
The insurer plans to further expand the service into Tier-II and Tier-III cities, strengthen digital capabilities and increase healthcare partnerships.
Star Health’s retail health insurance premium grew around 19% year-on-year in Q1 FY27, with more than 95% of premium income coming from retail insurance.
Parliamentary Panel Calls for Transparent Private Hospital Pricing
A parliamentary panel has recommended greater transparency in private healthcare pricing, highlighting concerns over high treatment costs, hidden charges and billing disputes.
The 176th parliamentary panel report on healthcare affordability and accessibility made around 368 recommendations, including mechanisms to standardise and cap costs of essential treatments, diagnostics and routine procedures.
The report noted that private hospitals handle more than 60% of inpatient care and around 70% of outpatient care, particularly in urban areas. It highlighted that treatment costs in private hospitals can be significantly higher than government facilities.
According to the report, average hospitalisation costs are around Rs. 6,631 in government hospitals compared with Rs. 50,508 in private hospitals.
Healthcare associations argued that hospital pricing must consider expenses such as nursing services, emergency support, medical equipment and compliance requirements. Experts suggested transparent pricing methods rather than direct comparison with hospitality benchmarks.
Two-Hour Health Insurance Covers Gain Popularity
Health insurers are increasingly introducing two-hour hospitalisation covers as medical procedures become shorter due to advances in technology, minimally invasive surgeries and improved clinical practices.
Traditional health insurance policies focused on 24-hour hospitalisation requirements. However, insurers have expanded coverage to include day-care procedures and shorter hospital stays where medically necessary.
Companies including Niva Bupa Health Insurance, Care Health Insurance and Aditya Birla Health Insurance have introduced products offering such benefits.
Industry experts said modern healthcare practices have reduced hospital stay durations for many procedures, making shorter-duration coverage increasingly relevant. According to Policybazaar data, day-care and short-duration stay claims account for nearly 30% of total claims processed.
Policyholders should carefully review coverage terms, exclusions and eligibility conditions before selecting such products, as benefits may differ across policies.
The trend reflects changing healthcare delivery models and the need for insurance products to align with evolving treatment practices.
