Indian BPOs eye US healthcare

Indian business process outsourcing companies involved in healthcare are increasingly eyeing a niche business in the US healthcare sector.

The healthcare sector in the US is undergoing a sea change due to the need for compliance to the Health Insurance Profitability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which might result in off-shoring a good quantum to other countries like India, according to analysts.

"The verticals such as healthcare administration, medical management and imaging are in high demand in the US and India can make this a niche BPO area," a top functionary of Atlanta-based STI knowledge told PTI.

As of now outsourcing to Indian companies can offer cost saving to the tune of 20-30 per cent. "For every healthcare dollar spent, 21 cents go to administration. The average margins for publicly traded healthcare firms are under pressure," he adds.

Apart from administration and paper work, imageology also offers business promises to India, say analysts. As per the HIPAA verticals like electronic transactions and electronic claims attachment frameworks are being revamped and offer immense business opportunity to India BPOs.

Apart from administration and paper work, imageology also offers business promises to India, they say.