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TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. General insurers are reportedly urging the Indian Finance Ministry to exempt commissions on health insurance from the 18% GST and reinstate input tax credit (ITC), arguing that commissions part of procurement costs should be treated like reinsurance commissions. Without relief, premiums could increase by ₹3-5 per ₹100 cover, hitting India’s ₹40-50k crore retail health insurance market.
Source: short-url.org/1antS

2. India’s Supreme Court has allowed Major Electronics company to be exempted from customs duty on its G Watch W7 imports from South Korea, even though it was classified under the higher duty category (CTH 8517). The court held that a certificate of origin from a country with which India has a full customs duty exemption agreement is sufficient to claim such exemption.
Source: short-url.org/1anu0

3. India’s Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) has issued a notice classifying “conversion therapy” as a professional misconduct. It warned that doctors attempting to alter a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity will face strict disciplinary action, including suspension or cancellation of their medical license, reinforcing ethical practice and safeguarding LGBTQIA+ rights across the medical community.
Source: short-url.org/1anvQ

4. Private hospitals in India are locking horns with insurers over reimbursement rates and delayed settlements as medical inflation surges. Some renowned hospitals have suspended cashless services in August. Policyholders are bearing the financial burden amid this impasse.
Source: short-url.org/1anuR

5. The Supreme Court ruled that under the NDPS Act, failure to produce the bulk of seized contraband at trial doesn’t fail the prosecution’s case, provided inventory, sample-drawing and forensic report are properly documented. The court emphasized that only in exceptional cases, where procedural breach undermines the case’s core, should retrial be ordered.
Source: short-url.org/1anv0

Posted on

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. The NPPA has extended the existing ceiling prices for orthopaedic knee implants until November 15, 2025. The earlier deadline was September 15. The extension allows time to review industry representations while maintaining current ceiling prices.
Source: short-url.org/1eQeU

2. India’s central drugs regulator, has introduced a new online provision, effective 11th September 2025 for “Subsequent Importer” applications. It allows companies to import medical devices and in-vitro diagnostics already approved by CDSCO for marketing in India. The initiative aims to simplify approvals, brand approvals, enhance transparency, and reduce processing timelines.
Source: short-url.org/1eQnm

3. India’s central drug authority has classified pharmaceutical cocrystals of approved active substances as new drugs under New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019. Applicants must demonstrate superior properties over physical mixtures, with detailed validation, stability, and bioavailability/bioequivalence data. Submissions will be processed like new active substances, requiring full safety and efficacy evidence.
Source: short-url.org/1afgK

4. Pharmaceutical merchant association are reportedly urging India’s government to revise the rule prohibiting the export of pharmaceutical products labelled “For sale in India only.” They claim the regulation has led to substantial losses, hurting global competitiveness, restricting access for overseas patients, and causing market-share losses.
Source: short-url.org/1eQme

5. Reportedly, one of the leading toothpaste maker company in the United States will update its packaging from November 1 under a settlement order, showing “pea-sized” amounts for children under six to promote safe, age-appropriate fluoride use and address concerns that previous images encouraged potentially unsafe overuse by young children.
Source: short-url.org/1afh5

Posted on

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. A Public Interest Litigation before the Bombay High Court is being opposed by the Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India, arguing on the basis of a notification of the Dental Council of India dated 6th December 2021, that specialized Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons registered with State Dental Councils should be permitted to carry on hair transplant surgeries.
Source: bit.ly/49yFtLx

2. The Central AYUSH Minister (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) has stated in response to query in the Indian Parliament, that the ministry has followed a policy of co-location of AYUSH facilities at primary healthcare centres to encourage patients to make choice of treatment.
Source: bit.ly/41ssp8c

3. A lawsuit has been filed in the United States against the manufacturers of consumer food products, alleging that the products manufactured by the companies are “ultra-processed” and prone to causing chronic diseases among consumers.
Source: bit.ly/4goMQXO

4. The Union Health Ministry of India has reportedly urged states to classify snakebites as a notifiable disease, meaning it must be reported to the government by hospitals. This follows the launch of the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE), which aims to reduce snakebite deaths by 50% by 2030. One of NAPSE’s recommendations is that snakebites be made a notifiable disease to better track and address the issue.
Source: bit.ly/4gxDPvG

5. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has stated that data on disciplinary actions against Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) over the past five years is not centrally maintained. It has advised states to promote the prescription of generic drugs and conduct prescription audits in public health facilities. The Indian Medical Council’s 2002 regulations mandate that physicians prescribe drugs by their generic names, legibly and preferably in capital letters, ensuring rational and appropriate use.
Source: bit.ly/3ZRLujb

Posted on

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. Export samples of “Cough Syrup” under HSN code 3004 has been exempted from testing by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) provided they are being exported to or are manufactured at a plant/section which is approved by the regulatory agencies of USA, UK, Canada, European Union, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Republic of Korea and Switzerland.
Source: bit.ly/3YeH6tI

2. India’s Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has recently rejected the review application of a leading pharmaceutical company and upheld the action of NPPA in fixing the ceiling price of the subject formulation. DoP stated that all modified release formulations of a drug that were mentioned in National List of Essential Medicine (NLEM) 2011 – Schedule I of Drugs Price Control Order, 2013 (DPCO, will be included in the NLEM 2015 – Schedule I of DPCO even though not specifically mentioned in NLEM 2015. It may be worth noting that, NLEM 2022 unlike NLEM 2015 specifically mentions that all modified release formulations of drugs specified in the NLEM list of 2022 will be regulated as scheduled formulations.
Source: bit.ly/3NzW73a

3. Goods and Service Tax (GST) on life and health insurance premiums by senior citizens may reportedly be exempted from GST irrespective of the coverage amount. Group of Ministers (GOM) to submit its report on the GST rates on life and health insurance premiums to the GST Council by October end of this year and final decision will be taken by the GST Council.
Source: bit.ly/3Nxr1cr

4. India’s pharmaceutical exporters are waiting for a government response to their request for an exemption from the onerous payment conditions prescribed under Section 43B (h) of the Income Tax (IT) Act, 1961. They are advocating for a minimum 60-day credit period, which is in line with global market standards where credit terms frequently extend up to 120 days. According to section 43B (h), payments for goods or services must be cleared within 45 days of acceptance. Failure to comply within this period creates financial burden and prevents businesses from claiming these payments as tax deductions.
Source: bit.ly/3Nx3dFD

5. To streamline and modernize pharmaceutical export-related procedures, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has implemented an electronic Appendix 4H certificate filing system. The certificates which record the consumption and stock of duty-free imported or locally sourced raw materials under the Advance Authorization (AA) and Duty-Free Import Authorization (DFIA) schemes, are fully digitalized, as highlighted in Trade Notice No. 21/2024-25. Digital submission of these certificates is now mandatory for all pharma exporters.
Source: bit.ly/3YvCbES
Source: bit.ly/48fPe0g