Peter Prem and his wife were admitted to St John’s Hospital in Bengaluru in August 2020 after they tested positive for Covid-19. They both had mild symptoms and were discharged in six days. But Prem’s discharge report showed an unexpected diagnosis — it said that he had chronic kidney disease, which he knew nothing about before this.
Prem’s insurance company, Star Health and Allied Insurance, refused to pay the cashless claim for treatment because they said his kidney ailment was “longstanding” even though they also admitted its history could not be ascertained, according to documentation sent to Prem, reviewed by IndiaSpend.
Prem told the company that no renal issues showed up in the formal medical check-up done before they issued his insurance policy. He raised a complaint with the hospital as well, asking to know why his discharge summary mentioned a kidney ailment. The…