Visitors Insurance

My parents had come from India and had taken medical insurance from India (New India Assurance Company).

New India Assurance company provides coverage via Mercury International Inc., based in UK (also having offices in Florida, US).

My mother was admitted to hospital for 3 days (in Jan 2002) and the hospital (and doctors) have a claim of about $10,000.

We have been contacting Mercury International in UK and Florida for the past 8 months (thru. many E-Mails, Faxes and letters) but they have refused to pay the claims till date. The last excuse they came up with was that the Indian company had not paid them.

While the business relations between the Indian company and Mercury International are an internal business dealing, we are unnecessarily being harassed. We are being pushed by hospitals and by doctors to pay them.

We have sent the claims form and the $100.00 deductible which has been encahsed by Mercury International. They have refused to pay till date.

Mercury International should reimburse the medical bills ASAP and pay us back for the time spent and harassment that we have gone thru.

29 September 2002:


There has been no response from Mercury International.

However we have received a letter from the Indian company (New India Assurance) that they have sent the money for the claims to Mercury International and that Mercury International is acting in the most unprofessional way. I am copying this letter below.

We have not received any help or information from Mercury International.
Neeraj Singhal
--------------------------------------
WITHOUT PREJUDICE
16.9.02
MR. NEERAJ SINGHAL,


Dear Policy holder,


Re : Claim under your Overseas Mediclaim Policy of the
THE NEW INDIA ASSURANCE CO. LTD.

We refer to your mail dated 24TH AUGUST 2002 in the above connection.

We regret the inconvenience caused to you by M/s Mercury International Assistance & Claims Ltd., in the connection with your claim. We understand that M/s Mercury International has given you an impression that in view of non- availability of funds from our end they are unable to settle your dues.

We as the principal insurer accept our responsibility for the inconvenience. However, we do not agree with the reasons indicated to you by the claims settling agent, M/s Mercury International for settlement of the claims from their end. The claims float is being replenished by us as per the requirement of M/s Mercury International and on the basis of the accounts submitted by them. Further we pay a service fee to them for the services provided by them to our policy holders and claim settlement fees. These charges are also being settled from time to time based on the business generated. There would have been some delay owing to administrative reasons. Thus the contention of M/s Mercury International that we have not paid them their fees or replenished the claims float is totally non-tenable.

We apprehend that this situation has arisen due to the fact that we have appointed a new TPA viz. M/s Coris International for servicing the Overseas Health Insurance Policies with effect from 1st July 2002. However, we are very much surprised to observe the attitude of M/s Mercury International of not fulfilling their obligations under the earlier contract. We do understand that these matters are of no concern to you. However, due to intransigent attitude taken by M/s Mercury International we feel necessary clarifications are required to be made.

This matter is being addressed by us on war footing and we hope to settle this matter amicably in the shortest possible time. You have been a valued customer of New India and we very much regret the inconvenience caused to you. With the change in our service providers we accept to offer better services to our valued customers.

We request you to kindly bear with us. We assure you that this matter will be sorted out soon.

Assuring you of our best services at all times.

With best regards,

( DR.ABHIJIT KAR )
M A N A G E R

DK/ hd