A healthy diet, regular physical activity, adequate sleep, and leisure activities can all contribute to a state of physical, mental, and social well-being. However, most people in India, particularly those in major cities, struggle with chronic illnesses, including diabetes, hypertension, cancer, etc. The leading causes of these lifestyle diseases include increased poor food intake, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, and binge drinking. Therefore, preventive healthcare is more important than ever because these diseases can become lethal if not treated. It aims to identify and reduce such risks as soon as possible.
According to research, preventive check-ups can help lower healthcare costs by identifying potential health problems before they become serious and necessitate expensive treatments. So, it is clear that the secret to leading a better life is getting regular preventive health checks. Most health insurance plans allow free health check-ups after a claim-free year.
What are the Advantages and Crucial Elements of Preventive Health Check-ups?
Purchasing preventive health check-up packages has many advantages. Therefore, to purchase a comprehensive preventative health check-up package, you must be aware of its key components, some of which are stated below:
- Early identification of a condition that may be life-threatening.
- Increase the likelihood of early diagnosis, treatment, and occasionally recovery.
- Preventing the probability of consequences by routine monitoring of pre-existing medical conditions.
- If you change your lifestyle, the results of the health check-up exam can help you live longer.
- Avoiding expensive emergency treatments to keep your overall healthcare costs down.
- Enabling active participation on your part in managing your health.
- Using the most recent medical knowledge and tools to stay informed and take charge.
Who Needs Preventive Medical Examinations?
Ideally, a person over 30 should choose to have a preventive medical check-up. It is used to screen and identify various lifestyle disorders, the most significant ones being:
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Cardiac or heart conditions
- Obesity
The leading causes of forming unhealthy routines include increased stress, a lack of time for exercise, and improper eating. As a result, our overall health gradually deteriorates, and before we realise it, lifestyle diseases are knocking on our door!
Even worse, some of these lifestyle diseases destroy our bodies without showing signs, making them "silent killers." Therefore, a person can benefit from timely illness screening through preventive check-ups. For instance, foot ulcers and retinopathy are frequent consequences of diabetes. Consequently, you can avoid lower limb amputations and eyesight loss with yearly foot and eye exams. Similarly, maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels is essential to reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The monitoring of cancer is a crucial function of preventive healthcare. Many malignancies have no symptoms; failing to diagnose them in the early stages might result in fatalities. Therefore, frequent healthcare check-ups can increase the likelihood of recovery for those at risk of acquiring cancer.
Packages for Preventive Healthcare
You can select from various preventive healthcare packages based on age, gender, and, if needed, disease-specific.
Family Package
Complete body check-ups, nutritional, ophthalmology, and dental consultations are all included for the whole family's benefit. Additionally, some hospitals provide both men's and women's specific packages.
Cardiac Package
With remedial consultations, this package aims to determine the likelihood of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular mishaps.
Diabetes Package
Patients with diabetes can take advantage of diabetes plans to maintain their vital organs under routine inspection and prevent problems.
Cancer Package
For early cancer detection and determining future risk.
Pediatric Package
Healthcare packages, including a variety of paediatric, ophthalmic, dental, and general check-ups, are offered for children till the age of thirteen.
Fertility Check-up
Couples experiencing difficulty becoming pregnant can visit for fertility check-ups and receive professional advice.
Dental Package
In many hospitals and dental clinics, dental packages separate from routine check-up plans are gaining popularity.
A List of Tests Included in Preventive Healthcare Examinations
- Cardiovascular Indicators-ECG, 2D Echocardiogram, X-Ray of the chest, and Coronary Angiography
- Diabetes- random and fasting blood sugar
- Tumour/cancer Markers - Breast mammography for women over 30 years old, Pap Smear/TVS for women 40 years and older, and PSA for men over 45 years old
- Liver - Serum bilirubin and liver enzymes
- Kidney - blood urea, BUN, and serum creatinine
- Lipid Profile - Triglycerides, HDL, LDL, and Cholesterol
- Abdominal - Abdominal sonography
- Thyroid - Levels of TSH, T3, and T4
Section 80D Tax Deductions
As per Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961, passed by the Government of India, you can benefit from a tax exemption of INR. 5000 on preventive health checks.
Preventive health check-up costs for you, your spouse, or your dependent children are included under an overall limit of INR 25,000 under Section 80D. Additionally, you may get a deduction of up to INR 25,000 for the insurance of parents under 60 years of age. The amount that may be subtracted if the parents are older than 60 is INR 50,000. Therefore, the highest deduction that may be claimed if the taxpayer and their parents are over 60 years old is INR 1 lakh.
Conclusion
A preventive health check-up is a tool for early detection of the disease so that you do the necessary to get rid of it or control it. While a person may occasionally display disease-related signs and symptoms, they often go unnoticed without routine check-ups. In terms of a person's health, early diagnosis is one of the critical advantages of a preventive health check-up and may also include additional perks like tax deductions. So, to improve your health insurance portfolio, you should choose a preventative healthcare package.
