A Delhi Consumer Forum has directed a state-owned company to pay a compensation of Rs 10,000 to a senior citizen for the mental agony and harassment suffered by him due to delay in settlement of a medi-claim.
Finding UTI Technology Services Limited (UTITSL) guilty of deficiency in service, the Central District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum also imposed a cost of Rs 3,000 on the company and ordered it to pay the amount to complainant M J Antony.
Anthony had approached the consumer forum as his medi-claim was rejected by the company after keeping him waiting for 10 months. He sought reimbursement and compensation for harassment and mental agony
“It took about ten months for the company to reach the conclusion through New India Assurance Company (NIAC) that claim was not maintainable. In this long period, Antony had to suffer mental agony which could have been avoided by the company particularly to the senior citizen,” the forum bench comprising President B B Chaudhary and Member M Siddiqui said.
UTITSL, a government owned company, had under Senior itizen’s Unit Plan made an arrangement with the insurance ompany to provide the benefit of medical insurance to its unit holders.
Antony, 66, had submitted the medi-claim to UTITSL for Rs 22,500 — the expense incurred in the treatment of his wife in 2008.
However, the UTITSL in 2009 declined the claim of Antony saying that his wife was treated from Ayurveda Kendra hospital which was not among the empanelled hospitals listed under the policy.
“In any case, the UTITSL should have settled the claim at the earliest, even if it was to be rejected,” it said, adding that the company was at fault and there was deficiency in service.