Under normal circumstances, the decision of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to form working groups for health insurance reform to improve transparency, coordination between hospitals and insurers, and the patient experience should be a welcome measure. But these are not normal times for those forced to buy commercial health insurance because of uncontrolled premiums, fragmentation of patients in numerous small risk pools, and the absence of a law to regulate healthcare.

Infusion of private equity into healthcare is further raising pressure for profits. Private health insurance is the only alternative for millions left out of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) or the State Health Insurance Programmes........

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