For many people, life has become expeditious. In this fast-paced life, where many of us are running behind our day-to-day work, goals to reach and targets to achieve, how often do we think about dedicating quality time to ourselves? Most of us either tend to ignore self-care, be it physical or mental, or give it a low priority.
Various health reports show an alarming rate of increase in the occurrence of lifestyle diseases, most of which can be attributed to our current lifestyle. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60% of deaths that occur in India are due to Non-Communicable-Diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, etc. Most of these diseases can be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle. Having said that, it might be a little hard for us to plan a health routine and dedicate time to indulging in wellness activities. This is where Health Insurance can be of potential help.
Health Insurance provides firm financial backup in times of medical needs. However, as against the popular notion, Health Insurance not only secures people’s lives after any medical emergency or health issue but also helps people to maintain their health on track.
Many Health Insurance policies including Individual Health Insurance and Family Health Insurance offer wellness programs to encourage people to lead a healthy lifestyle. Even some Group Medical Insurance plans offer wellness services. Mostly, the policyholders can enrol in such wellness programs offered by their insurers without any additional cost. The wellness programs include weight-loss training, regular workouts and fitness activities, smoking-cessation programs, walk steps tracking, etc. With growing concerns about mental health, Health Insurance also focuses on mental well-being, as a result, its wellness programs also include stress management sessions, yoga classes, meditation programs, etc.
Through this wellness program, people can take part in various wellness activities which will help keep their health on track. Health Insurance not only recommends wellness programs to people but also incentivizes them for achieving their health goals. When people take part in wellness programs, for achieving each health milestone or goal, they can earn reward points. Later, they can redeem those reward points as discounts on their premiums during the renewal of the policy.
Likewise, Star Health and Allied Insurance offers Star Wellness Program for policyholders in select medical insurance plans. People can take part in various wellness activities under the guidance of wellness coaches. By indulging in the wellness activities offered, people can get premium discounts on renewals, and also lead a healthy lifestyle.
Regular health check-ups help people identify diseases and illnesses well before they start posing health risks. Understanding the significance of preventive health check-ups, Health Insurance offers free annual health check-ups up to certain limits to the policyholders. Some Health Insurance plans offer annual health check-ups for every claim-free year, while some policies offer it every year irrespective of claims. Through this, Health Insurance motivates people to be well-informed about their health conditions.
Some Health Insurance companies extend their health care services to people beyond providing Health Insurance coverage. Some of the services include free doctor consultations, second medical opinions, diet consultations, etc. In that regard, Star Health Insurance offers free Telemedicine service - Talk to Star - to all Indian citizens. Using this, people can avail live consultation with Star Health’s highly qualified team of in-house doctors and health experts free of cost. Such initiatives are aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle among people.
In conclusion, Health Insurance is not just a safety net for medical emergencies but also a step towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle. With the help of wellness programs, reward points, and annual health check-ups, Health Insurance motivates people to lead a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, the provision of free doctor consultations and other healthcare services further ensures that people have access to quality healthcare. Therefore, it is important for people to consider investing in Health Insurance, not just for financial security, but also for their overall wellness.
