India's Bajaj Finserv, PB Fintech fall on report of AHPI seeking insurance cartel probe

PB Fintech

26/08/2025 09:16

** Shares of Bajaj Finserv BJFS.NS fall about 1.6% and PB Fintech PBFI.NS drop 3.7%

** Drop after CNBC-TV18 reports Indian healthcare industry group, Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) seeks the intervention of the insurance regulator against cartelization by health insurers

** AHPI may also request a probe by the Competition Commission of India, claiming insurers enforce fixed tariffs in violation of competition rules

** The industry group has called for the suspension of cashless treatment for Bajaj Allianz policyholders from September 1 in its member hospitals, covering over 15,000 facilities; Bajaj Allianz is a unit of BJFS

** AHPI's action stems from disputes over low and outdated reimbursement rates, unilateral deductions, payment delays, and long approval times for pre-authorization and discharge

** PBFI earns fees by selling policies from multiple insurers, including Bajaj Allianz; any disruption to an insurer on its platform could hurt PBFI's volumes and revenue

** BJFS shares are up 25% in 2025 so far, while PBFI is down 9.8%, exchange data shows

(Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru)

((bharath.rajeswaran@thomsonreuters.com; +91 9769003463;))