It is not surprising that today, India ranks number one in terms of cardiovascular diseases, with 50 million of its citizens suffering from heart related issues. The National Health survey further reveals that our country ranks second in terms of obese citizens with the number at 155 million, which is increasing by 33-51% every year.
A healthy population, however, serves the interests of nation well. Therefore, the government of India, in collaboration with health insurance companies, are increasingly focused on spreading awareness about the importance of preventive health check-ups. Many of the insurers have included health check-ups into their health insurance plans. This initiative intends to:
- Establish a health check discipline
Your body is a machine. It is essential to measure its vital statistics and performance regularly. It is the first step towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The tests should be undertaken even if you feel perfectly healthy.
For example, medical professionals recommend that you should undergo screening for hypertension or blood pressure at least once every year. It is ideal to have your cholesterol levels checked once every four to six years. Along with the tests, vaccination for various seasonal diseases like flu can be included in the schedule.
- Detect lifestyle-related ailments
India is a developing economy, with over 50% of its GDP contributed by the services sector. You are likely to be in a 9-5 job with most of your office hours spent by sitting behind a computer. In the age of electronic media and entertainment, it is also possible that your pastime does not include physical activities like sports.
A study by Mayo Clinic associates such a lifestyle with a wide range of cardiovascular conditions and cancer. It recommends 60-75 minutes of physical activity daily to counter them. With this, regular health check-ups can ensure that all your physiological parameters are within safe limits.
- Manage genetic risks
According to a study by the American Heart Association, siblings with one parent with a history of heart attack are 48% more likely to have one. So even if you have a healthy lifestyle, a family history of ailments can expose you to significant health threats. In such a situation, a regular screening schedule can help to adopt preventive measures well ahead of time.
- Prevention is better than cure
By fighting the disease at its infancy, you can avoid significant treatment costs and have a better prognosis. For a chronic and terminal illness like cancer, early detection through preventative health checks not only helps in adopting the best course of treatment but also improves your chances of survival and return to normalcy, significantly.
For example, chemotherapy for breast cancer can cost up to Rs. 20 lakh in India. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, as many as 70% of the women with early stages of breast cancer can be spared chemotherapy. The disease can be easily detected in the early stages with annual Mammogram tests, costing Rs. 1,000-2,000 only.
- Avail tax benefits
You are entitled to avail tax benefits for the money spent on preventive health check-ups under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961. You can avail tax deductions of up to Rs. 5,000, spent on preventive health check-ups for yourself and your family.
Thus, regular preventive health check-ups and availing the right health insurance policy are the essentials for a healthy life. Select from a wide variety of medical insurance policies offered by the insurers today. Pocket Insurance, a comprehensive range of health insurance solutions by Bajaj Finserv, provides coverage for various categories. It includes lifestyle, health, travel etc. These policies are designed to meet your everyday insurance requirements.
The policies in the health category offer a full spectrum of coverage against various medical contingencies. They range from Dengue to Tuberculosis. At the payment of a nominal premium, they offer coverage for accidental hospitalisation, loss of income, expenses for medical diagnosis etc. among other benefits.
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