Parents have helped you grow and be where you are today. They took care of your health when you were young and now it is time for you to help them take care of their health. You should always encourage your parents not to ignore their health so that in their old age also they are healthy and happy. One of the best ways to safeguard the health of your parents is by taking health insurance that covers numerous illnesses that old people can get affected by.
Why Should You Encourage Your Parents not to Ignore their Health?
Our health needs more nutritious food and attention in old age. Our body turns weak with increasing age. Thus, it is necessary to get proper nutrition as well as proper medical attention in old age. Ignoring health might lead to health issues and illness. Thus, your parents need to take special care of their health. Following are some reasons why your parents’ should worry about their health -
- Chronic illnesses- Chronic illnesses are those which last for one year or more and require ongoing medical attention. It can be diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, etc. Chronic illnesses are common in old age and your parents need specialized care to tackle these illnesses.
- Weak Immune system- Health begins to deteriorate with age. It leads to a weakened immune system which increases the risk of frequent infections and requires medical attention. Thus, care is needed to strengthen immunity, especially with advancing age.
- Body becomes weak- Age also makes the body weak causing people to face trouble doing everyday work. A weak body becomes more prone to fractures which might be severe and take a long time to heal.
How to Guide Parents to Take Care of their Health?
When it comes to taking care of their health, our parents need us to guide them because they might ignore their health. Here are some of the ways you can make your parents take care of their health -
- Eating a balanced diet- A balanced diet is necessary for the nutrition the body requires. So, educate your parents about the need for a balanced diet and ensure that they consume such a nutritious diet every day.
- Go for a walk- Walking is a solution for most health issues. So, motivate your parents to go for a walk for half an hour for their physical health.
- Exercise- Exercising is a basic body need. Just like food, the body needs regular exercise or it may become weak. Teach your parents some basic exercises and help them do such exercises regularly.
- Meditation- Meditation is for mental health. The healthier you are mentally, the healthier you will be physically. Ask your parents to practice meditation for a worry-free life and disease-free health.
How to Secure Your Parent’s Financial Health?
After you have encouraged your parents to take care of their health, guide them towards securing their financial health too. Medical emergencies become common in old age and so, your parents should be financially secured when such medical emergencies strike. For such financial security, a health insurance plan becomes a must. You should, therefore, invest in a health insurance plan for your parents or help them choose a policy for their coverage needs if they are financially independent.
Why Buy a Health Insurance Plan for your Parents?
Investing in a health insurance policy for your parents is an important thing. Below are a few reasons why:
- Effective Coverage- A health insurance policy will cover the medical expenses related to your parents’ hospitalization, day-care expenses, pre-and post-hospitalization expenses, ambulance charges, domiciliary hospitalization, etc. The plan would, therefore, come in handy in a medical emergency.
- Financial Assistance- If your parents have a health insurance plan, they can get the required financial assistance in times of medical emergencies and meet the treatment costs easily. Thus, they don’t have to depend on you or anyone else for financial assistance if they are insured under a health plan.
- Tax Benefits- Investing in a health insurance benefit helps you or your parents save tax. The premium that you pay for a health plan for your parents is allowed as a deduction from your taxable income. You can health insurance claim a deduction of up to INR 50, 000 under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961, if your parents are senior citizens. And, if you pay the premium for your parents’ health insurance, who are below the age of 60 years, you can claim a deduction of up to INR 25, 000 under section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Alternatively, if your parents pay for their own health plan, they can claim a deduction on their taxable income under Section 80D.
- Safeguard against the rising healthcare costs- Healthcare costs are increasing at an alarming rate. A medical emergency, therefore, poses a threat to your or your parents’ finances. A health plan is, therefore, essential to pay for the expensive medical treatments and allows your parents to avail quality healthcare without wondering about the affordability of coverage.
Health Insurance Plans for Parents
You or your parents can invest in a senior citizen health insurance plan. These policies are meant for senior citizens and allow coverage benefits which are specific to their needs. Choose an optimal sum insured and get both your parents covered on a floater basis under a comprehensive senior citizen health insurance policy.
Though you can also cover your dependent parents under your family floater policy, it should be avoided. Premiums of family floater plans depend on the age of the eldest member and if parents are included in the coverage, the premium would increase considerably. Moreover, the coverage might get restricted and if your parents need frequent medical attention, you would lose the no-claim bonus. So, a separate senior citizen policy would be a better alternative.
Conclusion
Encourage your parents to keep up as many healthy lifestyle habits as possible and also ensure that along with physical health their financial health is also secured. Investing in a health insurance plan for your parents is the best option to ensure financial shield. However, buy a health insurance plan only after comparing the coverage and benefits of various plans. Also, ensure to opt for an optimal sum insured to help them get the best medical attention that they deserve.
