Growing relevance of tailor made health insurance to cover cardiac conditions

On World Heart Day, with the maxim of #USEHEARTTOBEATCVD, Ajay Shah, director and head, retail, Care Health Insurance (formerly Religare Health Insurance) lists four reasons to look at a financial protection covering cardiac conditions and procedures

A healthy heart is the key to a healthy life and among all our organs; it is considered to be the one that’s most vital. However, in the last few years we’ve witnessed a steep rise in the number of individuals suffering from cardiovascular ailments; the prime reasons being stressful work environments, sedentary lifestyles, improper diet and lack of exercise.

All of these have a direct impact on our heart’s health and most individuals don’t realise the deteriorating status of their heart until it is too late. A study suggests that 1 out of every 4 deaths in our country is due to Cardiovascular Diseases. Furthermore, in just the last one decade, we’ve seen the average age of an individual getting diagnosed with a heart ailment come down from 55 to 40 years.

The present times have thrown light on how unprepared most of us are when it comes to managing unforeseen medical exigencies. While comprehensive health coverage is clearly a necessity, health insurance companies now even offer health insurance plans for persons who are already ailing with diabetes or have undergone a cardiac procedure or surgery.

Every year the World Heart Federation celebrates September 29 as World Heart Day with a single-minded objective of educating people on how to adopt a lifestyle that’s healthy for our heart.

We at Care Health Insurance celebrate good health and today bring four reasons to look at a financial protection covering cardiac conditions and procedures

• Increasing risk of lifestyle diseases- With lifestyle diseases on the rise, you never know when they can affect you or someone in your immediate family. Typically, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), obesity, high blood pressure, cancer, and stroke are some of the most common lifestyle diseases. As per statistics, India ranks number one in the number of cardio patients, with close to 50 million suffering from heart health issues. Hence, financial security in the form of a health insurance is a must-have.
• Ever-increasing cost of heart care- Continuous post-surgery rehabilitation as well as prolonged treatment sessions can adversely affect your finances. While some heart diseases can be managed by making lifestyle changes and taking medicines regularly, many a times, surgeries may have to be a necessary intervention. However, no matter what, treatment or management cardiovascular diseases is an expensive ordeal.
• Employer’s health policy is not enough- As working professionals, we may think our employer’s healthcare benefit is adequate. However, employer sponsored health insurance policy may offer limited Sum Insured coverage, customisation options, and may not cover all of the critical illnesses.

• Financial security- Researchers say that the cost of medical treatment is rising by 10-15 percent every year in India. Therefore it is imperative to secure your future with a health insurance policy.

Many health insurance companies have been focusing on bringing relevant tailor made plans with some of them covering individuals who’ve undergone a heart procedure or surgery. This ensures that despite facing a medical anomaly like this, one is not devoid of options to keep their health insured. Furthermore, these plans offer comprehensive annual health check-up so that one can periodically get themselves updated on their current status.