Preventive Healthcare Insurance

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Preventive healthcare is basically steps taken by a person to prevent contracting a disease instead of treating the same after being diagnosed with it. Lifestyle diseases are on the rise these days, especially in the case of corporates, due to unhealthy food habits, and lack of exercise. It is best to prevent these diseases by keeping fit and going for routine check-ups instead of suffering from conditions like hypertension, obesity, heart disease, etc.

Preventive healthcare in India

Nearly 60% of deaths in India, today, are caused by non-communicable diseases which can be prevented. The fast-paced lifestyle, coupled with hectic and stressful jobs, make people negligent to healthcare. However, thanks to advanced research, abundant health data is at our disposal. Certain advanced diagnostics help people understand the human body and detect signs of disease before they manifest into a chronic disease. Thanks to rising awareness, the preventive healthcare segment has been witnessing a gradual growth. The value of the market is estimated in millions and is expected to grow further and transition to billions. The market provides a platform to offer better products and grow with the help of technology solutions. Those who are conscious of their health and have disposable income, invest in preventive healthcare packages, and hence nudge the semi-urban and urban markets to grow further.

Preventive healthcare packages provided in India

In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep a track on one’s health, individuals, especially corporates, opt for preventive healthcare packages. Here are some of the healthcare packages available in India:

• Hinduja Hospital: The hospital provides 2-day healthcare packages for men and women above 40 years. The comprehensive regular and the premium package are priced differently and differ for men and women too. Apart from the many tests that are included under the package, men can get consultations with a surgeon and women can get consultations with a gynaecologist.
• Indus Health Plus: The healthcare specialist offers specially-designed corporate medical check-up programmes. The packages, tailor-made for working professionals, tend to the healthcare needs of executives.
• Easybuyhealth: Yet another healthcare services aggregator for corporates, Easybuyhealth is an online platform that offers healthcare packages customized for individuals based on age, diet, gender, etc. Diagnostic centres across major cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Kolkata offer many tests under the package.
• Hindustan Wellness: This health management company offers doorstep services wherein samples are collected from the individual’s home and reports are later delivered to him/her. Due to the varying needs of a person, the company offers several packages that one can choose based on his/her requirement. Free consultations from experienced medical practitioners are also available under the packages.

Apart from healthcare firms such as those mentioned above, insurance companies, too, are increasingly offering preventive healthcare services. Health insurance companies offer medical check-up benefits or discounts on medicines at certain pharmacies. A few companies such as Aditya Birla Health Insurance, offer telephone consultations with doctors, specialists, dieticians, or counsellors.

Types of tests included in preventive healthcare

The tests available under the healthcare packages depend on the healthcare aggregator, hospital, or insurance company that offer the products. A few of the tests available under such packages are:

• Complete body check-up
• Chest X-ray
• Post-meal blood sugar
• HIV screening
• Blood pressure screening
• PAP smear
• Liver profile
• Cervical cancer screening
• Fertility tests
• Hormone profile
• Heart disease
• Nutrition and vitamin profile

Apart from tests, healthcare packages also offer doctor consultations to help individuals understand their current health conditions and what they can do to improve the same.

Advantages of preventive healthcare

Though preventive healthcare is not a popular trend as of now, it is expected to become a rising trend in the near future. Health insurance companies offer complimentary preventive healthcare services and provide incentives for maintaining good health too. The incentives certainly push individuals to opt for such services, but there are a few other advantages too. Given below are some of the advantages of subscribing to a preventive healthcare package:

• Prevent oneself from undergoing physical stress due to the illness.
• Help in detecting a health issue in the early stages so that it can be resolved as soon as possible.
• Save on the costs involved in treating the disease when diagnosed at a later point in time.
• Avoid emotional stress for oneself and one’s family.

Conclusion

Preventive healthcare is a form of anti-ageing because it slows the ageing process through early detection and cure of diseases. More and more people, today, are exposed to the benefits of preventive healthcare. They seek guidance from experts to prevent themselves from being diagnosed with chronic health conditions. This leads to an overall improvement of the physical and mental health of the person. The daily stress caused by the robotic lifestyle can be eliminated with various preventive treatments. Many people are not familiar with the preventive healthcare system, but with awareness programmes being conducted on the internet and other alternate platforms, preventive healthcare will slowly grow and make India a healthy nation.