A. The insurance ombudsman is an independent body that handles grievances of policyholders. The ombudsman looks at matters that involve amounts of less than Rs 30 lakh. The application is made online and the ombudsman requires you to have escalated the matter with the insurer first. Ombudsmen tend to be policyholder friendly. The decisions they take are binding on insurers but not on you (policyholder). You can still go to the courts if you are not happy with the outcome. Most ombudsman hearings are online now but these can also take place in-person.