E-cashless mode will gain traction in 2015: ICICI Lombard

Having an e-cashless module in hospitals will soon become common, says an industry outlook by ICICI Lombard General Insurance.

According to it, while some hospitals already use electronic format to deal with cashless claims, this will become more common in 2015.

Sanjay Datta, chief (underwriting and claims) at ICICI Lombard General Insurance, said, "As we look ahead, we see exciting times for the general insurance industry, driven by improving consumer demand, policy enablers and new initiatives by insurers."

With respect to health insurance, the key disease trends remained consistent in 2014 led by genitourinary diseases, eye disorders, respiratory problems, injuries and digestive ailments.

ICICI Lombard noted that the pattern was similar for critical illness with neoplasm, metabolic ailments, heart disease continuing to dominate. Medical inflation was seen moderating, especially in the past three years.

Treatment costs were higher due to the use of tertiary hospitals that increased from 43% to 49% in case of retail customers. The outlook also showed the rising demand for out patient consultation as is evident from initial response in group health segment.

In the motor insurance segment, while automobile continued to witness muted demand, scooters provided a silver lining with 132% growth. The impact of natural calamities was clearly evident with 40% increase in claims arising out of storms/cyclone.