Horst Weber, deputy member of executive management (operational division - health) of Munich Re said he is targeting a membership of about half a million next year. Weber is keen to work with any local partner who is able to contribute in terms of numbers and bring in the volumes."Managed care is dependent on volumes, and you can perform certain services effectively with greater numbers," said Weber, who is also an insurance economist with sepcialisation in health insurance.

He was in Pune at the National Insurance Academy to speak on managed healthcare.Munich Re has picked up a 33.3 per cent stake in Paramount Healthcare Management Co, the pioneer of managed healthcare in the country. Munich Re also has the option to increase its stake to 51 per cent in this venture. The FIPB approvals have been received and a MoU signed, and they are formulating a detailed business strategy.Munich Re seeks more local partners for speedier growth. "We have been doing a lot of market research during the last two years, and concluded that TPA was the best route to enter the Indian market," says Weber.

Paramount Healthcare, which is into TPA business, has enrolled 40,000 members in Mumbai alone. Paramount MD Nayan Shah says the company has since January 1, 1999, processed nearly 4,000 admissions and achieved a turnover of Rs 5 crore.