Health Insurance with Medical Check-ups Benefit
What do you mean by free health check-ups?
Health check-ups are full body check-ups done to keep a track of one’s overall health. This helps in diagnosing any diseases or illnesses early on, and also helps you monitor your health and wellbeing on the right medical parameters.
A lot of health insurers in India today offer free health check-ups; i.e. you can get your full body check-ups done without having to pay from your pocket!
Why is an annual health checkup important?
Most people tend to visit the doctor only when something is already wrong.
Think of the many times you’ve ignored certain symptoms and pains only because it wasn’t such a big deal, or rather – it was bearable and going to the doctor could just be procrastinated a little more.
However, many times – until there’s a proper health check-up done, a lot of health issues can often be left undiagnosed until it gets worse.
To simplify it further for you, we’ve put down a list of reasons why annual health checkups are important:
1. It helps with early diagnosis
One of the biggest and most vital benefits of getting an annual health checkup done is, it helps you detect any underlying health conditions early on.
For example; a lot of people aren’t even aware they are prediabetic until they have a health check-up done.
Finding out early on about your blood sugar levels can help you take the right steps towards your health, and can consequently help you avoid getting diabetes altogether!
2. It helps you monitor your overall health and wellbeing
How many of us actually know how our overall health and well-being is?
An annual routine health checkup helps us track our health on all important parameters and gives us the chance to take better care of it accordingly. The first step to anything is being aware, isn’t it?
3. It helps you improve your health
Being aware means, you’ll be in a better position to take care of your health.
For example; A health check-up may educate you about your unhealthy BMI (which you didn’t realize before), or maybe it helps you understand your cholesterol levels better which then helps you change your diet accordingly. Such small steps towards your health can go a long way.
4. It helps you reduce future healthcare costs
Since annual regular health checkups help with early diagnosis, prevention, and cure, you may be saving a ton on future healthcare costs!
How can you get this benefit with your health insurance policy?
With the intention to promote the importance of wellness and preventive care, a lot of health insurers today offer complimentary health check-ups every year, or every two to five years – depending on your health insurance policy’s terms and conditions.
Some even allow it, only on claim-free years as a benefit. The same can be availed just by contacting your health insurer or, by following the specific steps as given by your insurer – since this may differ across insurers. At Digit, we offer this as a renewal benefit.
How does this benefit work with Digit’s health insurance policy?
With Digit’s Health Insurance policy, we offer health check-ups as a benefit for all, during renewal. This means, you can start availing this benefit only after completing one year of your health insurance policy.
To avail this benefit, you can get your annual health check-up done at any of our network hospitals, or at any other hospital or diagnostic lab of your choice. Just make sure to let us know before you do so!
Post your medical checkup, get the costs reimbursed via our reimbursement claim process.
The amount up to which you can claim for the health check-up is usually a certain percentage of the Sum Insured with an upper cap. Some plans allow a complimentary health check-up after every two years while some allow them every year.
Disclaimer: The features and benefits of Health Check-up vary across different insurance plans. Please check the complete details in your policy document.
What does a complete health checkup include?
Although the nitty gritties of a health check-up may differ with different healthcare providers, overall – following are some common tests that will be part of your health check-up:
Blood Pressure Test
Blood Sugar Test
Lipid Profile
ECG Test (mostly recommended after 35 though)
Liver Function Test
Urine Analysis
Tests for Vitamin Deficiencies (Vitamin D deficiency is very common in India)
Pap smear (recommended for women, once a year)
Kidney function test
Lung function test
Note: The specifics of your health check-up may also differ based on your age, and family clinical history. For example; if you have a family history of cancer, then you may want to include a test for the same as well.
Benefits like health check-ups can often be overlooked or forgotten about when you have a health insurance policy.
However, it is an extremely valuable benefit that could help you take the right measures for your overall health and well-being. So, next time you are buying your health insurance policy or reviewing it – review the benefit of health check-ups as well.