Personal and professional lives have changed especially in urban areas. While modern lifestyle has its pros, there are severalnegatives of living in thefast-paced world. Ecological imbalances, pollution, and stress due to the rapid urbanization have resulted in several health disorders.
Common diseases affecting people
Some common diseases that have seen a significant rise due to today's unhealthy lifestyle include respiratory tract infections, fever, and gastroenteritis. The rise in these illnesses is because of the unexpected changes in weather conditions due to deteriorating environment. When the climate suddenly changes, there is a rise in the number of hospitalizations due to fever and respiratory tract infections. Another reason for such increase is the unhealthy and irregular eating habits. Consuming junk food regularly and eating in unhygienic conditions often cause gastroenteritis and fever-associated illnesses.
Several people also suffer from ailments, such as tuberculosis, malaria, and pneumonia. A large percentage of these patients need to be hospitalized to receive treatment for the same. Indians are also witnessing an increase in kidney-related problems and heart ailments due to lack of balanced diets and sedentary lifestyles. Since India has a large number of smokers, several people in the country tend to suffer from liver and lung diseases.
Cancer – a major health concern in India
According to some research reports published in 2015, approximately 10 lakh Indians are diagnosed with cancer every year. Furthermore, about seven lakh cancer patients do not survive. The future also appears bleak because this number is expected to touch 17 lakh patients by the year 2035.
There are more than 100 types of cancers and the increase in the number of patients has resulted in several insurers providing cancer insurance. Although these health insurance plans cover the treatment costs, coverage for these expenses is inadequate. As a result, patients often need to pay a part of the treatment expenses through their personal resources.
Three benefits of cancer insurance plan
- Lump sum payout
Cancer insurance plans offer lump sum payout in case the insured is diagnosed with the disease. Some insurers also provide a premium waiver for a certain number of years on diagnosis. The insurance companies may also waive off the premium in case of a valid claim of early stage cancer or carcinoma-in-situ (CIS).
- Flexibility
Patients and their families have the flexibility of using the lump sum payout as and when needed. It may be used to manage regular monthly expenses, pay mortgage installments, or treat cancer.
- Increased coverage
Some insurance companies provide increased sum insured when the policyholder does not file a claim during the policy tenure.
Insurance claims are not restricted to critical illnesses. There has been a steady increase in hospitalizations due to fever and other common diseases. If an individual has not opted for a mediclaim insurance policy, such unexpected hospitalization may have a huge impact on his financial stability. This type of policy is based on the indemnity principle where the hospitalization costs are reimbursed to the insured. A huge advantage of a mediclaim policy is that the policyholder may file for multiple claims during the duration in case he is hospitalized more than once in a year. Hospitalization due to common diseases is increasing and protection against the financial expenses is available through insurance.