Illness to wellness: Maintain good health to get discounts on insurance premiums

'Health is wealth' means that one's health is the greatest wealth. A healthy body resides in God. Hence, we should maintain good health. Though people are giving more importance to the health of late, with the emergence of Covid, people have become more health cautious and insurance companies that provide health insurance policies are taking the centre stage. Many insurance companies are providing health insurance based on our needs and we can select the best one and the icing on the cake is that they are also giving discounts in premium if we maintain good health and even appoint wellness coaches to look after our health.

Hyderabad: Demand for health insurance has grown significantly as a result of Covid. Accordingly, insurance companies have come up with a number of new schemes to impress the policyholders. One of them is to provide incentives and rewards for those who have a healthy lifestyle. Let's see how beneficial these policies are to the people.

When buying a health insurance policy insurance companies are providing some special programmes for health care. These are provided without any additional burden to motivate people to have a healthy life with good habits.

Discounts for a healthy lifestyle

Insurers assign certain reward points to policyholders when they exercise, walk, run or cycle to protect their health. Based on this, they offer a discount on the premium at the time of renewal. They can also be used for outsourcing consultations, medical tests and discounts on drug bills. Some insurance companies also offer the facility to use these points to participate in various health care programmes.

Wellness coaches for policyholders

Some insurance companies provide wellness coaches specifically for policyholders. They provide regular tips and advice to the policyholders on a wide range of topics, including diet, exercise, mental health and bodyweight management. Insurance companies award reward points to those who follow the coaches' instructions. There are a few other benefits as well.

Seeking a second opinion of a doctor

Insurers offer the opportunity to consult a second physician regarding treatment. It is offered as a part of the policy without charging any additional premium. When a doctor suggests the patients undergo surgery, they can seek a second opinion. To avail of these services, one has to fill up the prescribed application form and attach the medical examination reports. Sometimes these services can be accessed through the insurance company's mobile app.

Reports say that lifestyle diseases account for almost 25 per cent of all deaths in our country. However, healthy habits can reduce such a threat. It can be an incentive for policyholders to choose the one that comes with such special plans on lifestyle diseases when taking out a health insurance policy. Notably, a discount will be given on premium, says Sanjay Dutta, chief-Claims, ICICI Lombard General Insurance.