NEW DELHI: In a push to reduce delays and improve efficiency under the country’s largest health insurance scheme, the government has called on researchers and innovators to develop technology-driven solutions to automate claims processing under Ayushman Bharat.The National Health Authority (NHA), under the Union health ministry, is organizing an Auto-Adjudication Hackathon aimed at building scalable tools to streamline how insurance claims are assessed and settled under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY).The move comes amid growing recognition that faster and more transparent claims processing is critical to strengthening trust in public health insurance schemes, both for hospitals and beneficiaries.According to a public notice issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC), the hackathon will focus on developing automated systems that can handle large volumes of claims while ensuring accuracy and compliance.The initiative will culminate in a two-day offline event at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, on May 8 and 9, where selected teams will present their solutions.Registrations for the hackathon are open from March 31 to April 13. In its notice, the National Medical Commission said, “All medical colleges and institutions are advised to disseminate information about the hackathon among stakeholders and encourage participation of researchers, innovators and professionals from academic and professional networks.”Experts say automating claims adjudication could significantly cut processing time, reduce manual errors and improve transparency — key challenges in large-scale health insurance programs.The event is expected to bring together policymakers, healthcare leaders, technology experts and startups. Senior officials, including NHA CEO Dr Sunil Kumar Barnwal and industry leaders such as Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, are scheduled to participate in the opening session.On the second day, discussions will focus on the future of claims adjudication, including the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare and the need for regulatory guardrails to ensure safe deployment of such technologies.
