Sat Jan 11 11:51:00 UTC 2025: ## Madurai Court Orders Insurance Company to Pay ₹1.22 Lakh for Non-Network Hospital Surgery
**Madurai, January 11, 2025** – The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ordered United India Insurance Company to pay ₹1.22 lakh to a Madurai woman who underwent emergency surgery at a non-network hospital.
S. Dhanalakshmi, a B.T. Assistant, required immediate surgery for a severe gum infection while in Nagercoil. Unable to access a network hospital, she underwent the procedure, incurring the ₹1.22 lakh cost. Her subsequent claim for reimbursement was initially denied due to the non-network hospital status.
After a lengthy legal battle involving the District Level Empowered Committee and appeals to the High Court, the court ruled in Dhanalakshmi’s favor. The court noted that the insurance company, represented at committee meetings, failed to appeal the committee’s positive recommendation for reimbursement. Therefore, the court deemed the insurance company bound by the committee’s decision.
While upholding the government’s argument that it wasn’t financially responsible for the reimbursement, the court directed the United India Insurance Company to pay Dhanalakshmi within eight weeks. The appeal was subsequently disposed of.
First Piper 