A 4-Step Guide to Preventive Care: Does Your Health Plan Cover the Cost?

The fast-paced world makes it challenging to focus on preventive care. Although technology and modern advancements have made life easy, it has also contributed to the rise of lifestyle diseases. Unhealthy habits like a sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, poor diet, and factors like pollution have led to several health conditions [1]. These include problems like 

• obesity
• hypertension
• cardiac troubles 
• diabetes
• lung ailments

If not treated, these can lead to severe illnesses and may prove fatal. However, timely preventive healthcare measures can improve your quality of life. They can also help you save money on medical bills [2]! 

Read on to know how preventive care is lifesaving and whether health insurance in India covers its cost.

What is preventive healthcare?

Preventive healthcare is a measure taken to identify and prevent diseases and medical problems. It helps in the early detection of illnesses through screening. Preventive healthcare has become crucial today as it helps track and take care of your health. The following factors give rise to many health problems these days:

• Long hours of physical inactivity
• Exposure to pollutants
• Stressful work hours
• Other unhealthy habits

What services does preventive care include?

• Annual check-up

An annual check-up includes a physical examination and health screenings for conditions like diabetes, cholesterol, and hypertension. Your doctor checks all your health parameters to determine any problems at an early stage.

• Immunizations

Immunization for children and adults helps prevent the risk of several communicable diseases. Here are some examples of immunization for children.

• Hepatitis A and B
• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Polio
• Chickenpox

Immunization for adults includes vaccination against pneumococcal conjugate, shingles, and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) boosters [3].

• Flu-shots

Getting a flu shot lowers your risk of severe symptoms. It helps you prevent the chances of getting hospitalized. In fact, flu shots reduce the risk of contracting influenza by up to 60%.

• Cancer screenings

Cancer is a life-threatening disease. In most cases, people do not experience any symptoms during its primary and treatable stages. However, a preventive check-up at regular intervals helps identify cancer and take measures to stop its growth. 

Make sure you undergo a colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer or colorectal cancer screenings after the age of 45. Women should consider screenings like mammogram that includes routine X-rays of breast tissue to check for cancer. Men should undergo prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests to check for prostate cancer.

Does health insurance cover preventive care costs?

Many insurance providers in India offer preventive health check-up benefits under their comprehensive plans. This is usually added as a complementary feature in a health policy.

It allows you to get free preventive health check-ups at regular intervals. Some insurers also offer affordable preventive care health plans. 

Preventive healthcare plans offered by health insurance companies include the following.

Regular check-up

These plans include a full body check-up where all the areas of your health are screened. Such health check-ups may include a physical examination and several tests.

Family plans

These preventive health plans can be customized as per your needs. This way your whole family can enjoy full body check-ups and other tests. With these plans, you can avail consultations with specialists including ophthalmologists, cardiologists, and ENT doctors.

Preventive care health plans for your family help you avail the best medical care at top hospitals in India at affordable prices.

Child plans

You can buy preventive healthcare plans for your children up to the age of thirteen years. Such plans include general check-ups, pediatrics, ophthalmology, ENT, dental, and radiology services.

Diabetes plans

Diabetes is one of the most common health conditions affecting a large population in India. A diabetes plans include check-ups and consultations related to this disease. It helps people screen for diabetes so that blood sugar can be monitored and further complications can be avoided. You can also buy diabetes plans that include tests for vital organs.

Cancer plans

With unhealthy lifestyles and dietary changes, different types of cancers pose a major risk to human life. Early detection of a cancer through preventive screenings may help in preventing its severity. Thus, cancer preventive care packages are designed to include tests that screen for different types.

Dental plans

Apart from the regular health check-up plans, you can avail customized dental packages to track your oral health.

What benefits does preventive care health insurance provide?

Awareness

A preventive health check-up offered under a health insurance plan encourages you to get tested at the earliest. Discounted rates at top hospitals and complimentary check-up benefits can be great motivators! The results of such tests help you get reliable information about your health. This helps you be more aware and take steps to improve your health. 

Better health

A preventive health insurance cover helps you monitor your health. It reduces your chances of contracting diseases. Early detection of life-threatening illness increases your chances of getting timely treatment.

Saving on medical bills

With medical expenses rising day by day, a preventive health checkup helps you save money on medical bills. Expenses of treating a disease in its initial stage can be pocket friendly. In later stages, this may not be the case.

Tax benefit

The amount you spend on health insurance check-ups has a tax benefit of Rs.5,000. You can also avail this benefit for the money spent on medical check-ups for your spouse and children. However, this deduction amount is within the entire tax-deductible limit under section 80D of the Income Tax Act of 1961.

When you buy health insurance, check if your plan covers preventive care costs. To get its benefits, consider the Complete Health Solution plans offered by Bajaj Finserv Health. It offers doctor consultations, lab reimbursements, network discounts, and preventive health checkup benefits. You can protect the health of your whole family with these plans and get medical insurance up to Rs.10 lakh at affordable premiums. Sign up today and make your health a priority!