Such complaints are so common that the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority ( Irda) had to issue an advisory last year, asking insurers to refrain from repudiating claims on flimsy grounds. The regulator has also directed industry lobbies, CII and Ficci, to work on guidelines that are aimed at simplifying policy terms and conditions. However, buyers too need to understand these while buying or renewing policies to avoid nasty surprises later on.

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