Written by the Parayil team. 6 July 2026. 6 min read.
How to file a health insurance claim: cashless and reimbursement, step by step
What to do before a planned admission, in an emergency, and after discharge, with the documents insurers ask for.
The short answer
For cashless treatment at a network hospital, the hospital's insurance desk sends a pre-authorisation request to your insurer before a planned admission or soon after an emergency one. For reimbursement, you pay the hospital, then submit the claim form with bills, discharge summary and reports, usually within 15 to 30 days of discharge.
A claim is the moment an insurance policy proves its worth. Most delays come from missing paperwork, not from insurers refusing to pay. Here is how to keep it simple.
Cashless: planned admission
- Confirm the hospital is in your insurer's cashless network.
- Two or three days before admission, give the hospital's insurance desk your policy card and ID.
- The hospital sends a pre-authorisation request; the insurer approves an amount.
- At discharge the insurer settles the bill directly, and you pay only the items the policy excludes.
Cashless: emergency
Go to the hospital first. Inform the insurer or its TPA as soon as practical, normally within 24 hours, and the hospital will send the pre-authorisation. IRDAI's 2024 health insurance master circular asks insurers to decide cashless requests quickly and to authorise final discharge within hours, not days.
Reimbursement
If the hospital is outside the network, you pay the bill and claim afterwards. Keep every original. Submit within the time your policy allows, usually 15 to 30 days after discharge.
Documents insurers ask for
- Claim form signed by the policyholder
- Discharge summary
- Final bill with itemised breakup and payment receipts
- Investigation reports and prescriptions
- Pharmacy bills
- ID proof, policy copy and a cancelled cheque for payment
If you are our client, call us before or right after admission. We know what each insurer's claims team needs and we follow up until the money is in your account.
This guide is general information from Parayil Agencies & Financial Supermarket, a mutual fund distributor and insurance intermediary in Angamaly, Kerala. It is not personalised advice. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks; read all scheme-related documents carefully.