Thiruvananthapuram, 26 March (H.S.):Serious concerns have emerged over the disruption of the Medisep health insurance scheme portal in Kerala, with government employees and pensioners reportedly being denied treatment benefits due to technical failures.

According to reports, more than 10,000 beneficiaries were unable to avail themselves of cashless treatment over the past two weeks, forcing many to leave hospitals without receiving the entitled medical support. The Medisep scheme, which is funded through contributions from government employees and pensioners, has been a crucial healthcare safety net for thousands across the State.

Finance Department officials acknowledged the issue and stated that the matter has been taken up with senior representatives of the insurance company. They added that assurances have been received that the technical problems will be resolved within 48 hours.

Officials attributed the disruption to technical bottlenecks arising from the expansion of the scheme in its second phase. Compared to the initial rollout, the second phase includes a wider range of treatments and benefits, which reportedly led to complications in data submission and processing on the portal. Authorities confirmed that the Medisep insurance web portal experienced technical issues between March 14 and 18 during system upgrades aimed at improving efficiency.

At present, around 2,917 claims are pending initial approval, while 5,367 claims await final clearance, indicating a significant backlog in processing. Officials assured that any instance where beneficiaries were denied cashless treatment would be examined and addressed promptly.

Meanwhile, the Secretariat Action Council has strongly criticised the situation, alleging that the Medisep scheme — considered a “lifeline” for employees and pensioners — is now failing at a critical time, leaving many in distress.

The government is now under pressure to restore the system swiftly and ensure uninterrupted healthcare access.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman