Hospital bills

health insurance

BMC employees

Nanavati Hospital

Malvani Township municipal school

United India Insurance

Jupiter Hospital

Brihanmumbai Municipal Engineers

Shiv Sena-led Municipal Karmachari Kamgar Sena

Minaxi Desai

Sharad Deshmukh

Hariba Sutar

Avinash Sarang

Can’t afford insurer’s demand of Rs 166 cr to cover staff, says BMC; employees say they weren’t told the scheme had been suspended as premium is still being deducted from salaries and monthly pensions.were the last thing on retired BMC teacher Minaxi Desai’s mind when told she needed an open-heart surgery. Desai, 63, had the backup in the form of thescheme that covers, both in active service and those retired in and after 2011. In Desai’s case, Rs 650 are deducted from her pension every month towards policy premium that allows her cashless treatment up to Rs 10 lakh.“I got admitted toon August 3, reassured that financial worries will not be a concern for my family. A few days after my surgery, I came to know the cashless card issued to me had been rejected as the BMC had discontinued the health insurance for its employees. Nobody from the BMC told us about the development and we had to pay the hospital bill of Rs 10.62 lakh from our pockets,” Desai, a former head teacher at the, said.Scores of BMC employees are in a fix after the BMC, without warning, withdrew the health insurance cover in August, despite premium amount being deducted from their salaries and pensions every month. The BMC has said the insurer --– is demanding Rs 166 crore for the financial year 2017-18, after providing the same services for Rs 96 crore the previous financial year.“Such a massive hike just doesn’t fit in our budget,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner Sudhir Naik from the BMC’s General Administration Department. “When we introduced the scheme in financial year 2015-16, the three-year contract with the insurance company was worth Rs 83 crore,” he said.Naik said negotiations were on with the insurer, and the contract will remain “suspended” till an agreement was arrived at. He agreed the BMC hadn’t “issued a fresh circular informing its employees about the scheme’s suspension”, but added the premium amounts will be reimbursed if the negotiations fall through.While the BMC and the insurance company are busy ‘negotiating’, those ailing, or supporting a family member in hospital, are going through a harrowing time. Former BMC medical officer Dr Sharad Deshmukh, for instance, had to spend money saved for his daughter’s wedding to pay for his wife’s treatment.“My wife Vijaya was diagnosed with a heart ailment and we admitted her toin Thane in September. Two days after admission, I found the cashless card will not be accepted. The Rs 3 lakh I had set aside for my daughter’s wedding expenses were spent on the hospital bill,” Deshmukh said.The civic body unions are promising a speedy resolution, claiming they are doing everything possible to ensure the employees and pensioners don’t suffer. Vilas Kondgekar, founder of the Municipal Employees Welfare Association, said he has forwarded 189 reimbursement applications to the BMC top brass, while Sainath Rajadhyaksha, secretary of the’ Union, said a presentation has been submitted to the municipal commissioner. Baba Kadam, chairman of the, said the BMC top brass had promised all claims made in the August-December period will be reimbursed.Hemamalini Prabhakar, the general manager at United India Insurance, promised this newspaper that a company official will present their side of the story, but did not respond to subsequent calls and messages.Former BMC head teacher“Had I known earlier, I would not have undergone the surgery. I am still trying to figure out how to repay the money I have borrowed.”Former medical officer“My wife was diagnosed with a heart ailment, and we paid Rs 3 lakh from our pocket. I had set aside that money for my daughter’s wedding scheduled in January.”Operator with Hydraulic Department“The hospital was on the list of centres approved by the insurer. However, on the second day after my admission, we were told to pay a bill of Rs 76,000 saying the insurance card had been rejected.”Former BMC teacher“I realised a day after being admitted to hospital that the insurance scheme had been suspended. My brother somehow arranged money to pay the bill of Rs 96,000.”