Discharge Summary & Insurance Claim Document Collection from Delhi NCR Hospitals

What Documents Do Insurance TPAs Require?

When filing a health insurance or TPA (Third Party Administrator) claim, hospitals and TPAs require a comprehensive set of documents to verify the treatment, validate billing, and approve reimbursement. The following documents are typically required:

• Indoor Patient Case Sheets (IPD) — admission history, clinical notes, daily progress notes, medication charts, vital records, and nursing charts documenting the entire hospital stay.
• Operation Theatre & Anesthesia Notes — detailed surgical notes including surgical incisions, procedure descriptions, anesthesia times, surgeon signatures, and intra-operative findings.
• Implant Invoices & Outer Box Barcodes — original invoices and outer packaging barcodes for knee/hip implants, cardiac stents, pacemakers, hernia meshes, and any other implants used during surgery.
• Duplicate Bills with Official Hospital Stamp — all original bills bearing the official hospital stamp to prove authenticity for the TPA.
• Discharge Summary — the final discharge summary signed by the treating doctor, summarizing the diagnosis, treatment, procedures, and discharge medications.
• Final Hospital Bill — the consolidated final bill showing all charges incurred during the hospitalization.
• Breakup of Charges — a detailed itemized breakup of charges including room rent, pharmacy, diagnostics, procedures, consumables, and professional fees.
• TPA Claim Form — the insurance/TPA claim form duly filled, stamped, and signed by the hospital authorities.
• Pharmacy Bills with GST Numbers — all pharmacy bills clearly showing GST registration numbers for tax compliance verification.
• Diagnostic Test Reports — all lab and radiology reports including blood tests, MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, and X-ray reports performed during admission.
• Operation Notes for Surgical Procedures — detailed operative notes for any surgical procedures performed, including pre-operative and post-operative diagnoses.

Major TPAs and insurance companies operating in Delhi NCR that require these documents include Medi Assist, Paramount TPA, Vidal Health, Star Health, HDFC ERGO, ICICI Lombard, Care Health, and Niva Bupa. Each TPA may have slightly different documentation requirements, but the core set listed above is universally required.

The 4-Step MRD Retrieval Process

Retrieving documents from a hospital's Medical Records Department (MRD) follows a structured process. Here are the four steps involved:

• Step 1: Formal written requisition — submit a formal written requisition at the MRD department with the patient Name, MRN/UHID (Medical Record Number / Unique Health Identification), IPD Admission Number, and the admission and discharge dates clearly mentioned. This initiates the file retrieval process.
• Step 2: Identity & authorization verification — complete identity verification by providing a self-attested Aadhaar or Passport copy of the patient. If someone else is collecting on the patient's behalf, an authorized representative declaration must be submitted. This ensures documents are released only to authorized individuals.
• Step 3: MRD search & copying fee payment — pay the MRD search and copying fee, which is typically ₹2 to ₹5 per page or ₹250 to ₹1,000 flat per file, depending on the hospital's policy. Government hospitals generally charge less than private hospitals.
• Step 4: Attestation & stamping — the MRD supervisor retrieves the physical file in 3 to 7 working days. Each page is then stamped "Verified True Copy" and bears the Medical Superintendent Seal to confirm authenticity for TPA and insurance submission.

The entire process from requisition to receiving stamped documents typically takes 3 to 10 working days, depending on whether the file is readily accessible or needs to be retrieved from archived storage.

Fees & Processing Timelines

Fees and processing times vary significantly between government and private hospitals in Delhi NCR. Below is a breakdown of what to expect:

• Government hospitals — ₹10 to ₹200 per document, with a processing time of 3 to 7 days for discharge summaries. Documents like indoor case sheets may take longer if archived.
• Private hospitals — ₹100 to ₹500 per document, with a processing time of 1 to 3 days. Private hospitals generally have faster turnaround due to digitized records.
• MRD copying fees — ₹2 to ₹5 per page, or ₹250 to ₹1,000 flat per file, depending on the volume of records and hospital policy.
• Archived indoor case sheets — retrieving archived indoor case sheets from offsite storage takes 3 to 10 working days, as the physical file must be located and transported to the MRD department before copying.

It is advisable to initiate the document retrieval process as early as possible, especially if the insurance claim has a submission deadline. TPAs typically allow 15 to 30 days from discharge for claim submission, but having all documents ready well in advance avoids last-minute delays.

Hospital MRD Directory

Below is a directory of major hospitals across Delhi NCR with their MRD department locations and indicative processing times for document retrieval:

This list is non-exhaustive. Document collection is available from any hospital MRD department across Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad.

Using a Companion for Document Collection

A hospital companion handles the entire discharge summary and insurance claim document collection process for patients and their families:

• Visits the hospital MRD department with the patient's UHID card, Aadhaar, and authorization letter.
• Submits the formal written requisition with all required patient details (MRN/UHID, IPD admission number, admission and discharge dates).
• Pays the MRD search and copying fees on behalf of the family (reimbursed later).
• Tracks the file retrieval status and follows up with the MRD supervisor until the physical file is located.
• Inspects each page for the "Verified True Copy" stamp and Medical Superintendent Seal before accepting the documents.
• Delivers the collected documents to the patient's home or scans and sends them via WhatsApp for immediate use.
• Coordinates with the TPA desk and billing department to collect all required documents in a single visit, ensuring nothing is missed.

The flat fee for this service is ₹599/day, which covers a full day of hospital visits and coordination. If the hospital denies release of documents despite a valid requisition and authorization, a flat ₹299 companion engagement fee applies and the remaining ₹300 is refunded to the family. This ensures transparency and fairness in pricing.

Corelatin is an independent hospital companion service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any hospital. Companions provide non-medical logistical assistance only.

Frequently Asked Questions