Lifestyle diseases have become a common occurrence in today’s age. Nowadays, even as life is becoming simpler due to technology, illnesses, diseases, and accidental injuries are also rising at a rapid pace. Illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, etc. have become quite commonplace. In case of a medical emergency for any illness or injury, you or your family member might require hospitalisation.
A single instance of hospitalisation proves financially draining as a host of medical expenses are incurred. You need to pay for the rent of the hospital bed, consultation charges, cost of medicine, medical treatments availed, nurse’s fee, etc. These charges are considerable which put financial pressure on an average middle-class man. As such, a health insurance plan comes in handy.
A health insurance policy covers the medical expenses incurred if you suffer from any medical contingency. By paying your medical bills the plan prevents the financial burden falling on you. The importance of a health insurance plan can be summarized in the following points –
Thanks to modern medicine, life expectancy has increased. On the other hand, again thanks to modern medicine, cutting-edge treatments have been invented for treating even the most chronic cases. However, as medicine is evolving, it is also becoming expensive. As life expectancy has increased, the probability of medical contingencies has also increased. Given the fact that healthcare costs have become unaffordable, you need a health insurance plan to pay for the medical expenses that would incur when you need medical assistance.
Comprehensive Scope of Coverage
A health insurance policy proves important and also beneficial given the scope of coverage that it provides. The policy not only covers the expenses incurred on hospitalisation, it also covers expenses incurred both before and after hospitalisation. Moreover, you also get covered for daycare treatments, ambulance costs, organ donor treatments, and domiciliary and AYUSH treatments. Free health check-ups are also allowed under the plans which help you monitor and track your health regularly so that you can avoid medical emergencies.
Tax Benefit
If the coverage and the financial security offered by health insurance plans are not enough, you can also get tax-saving benefits from the policy. The premiums paid towards health insurance plans are allowed as an eligible deduction from your taxable income under the provisions of Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
You can claim a maximum deduction of up to INR 25,000 if you are aged below 60 years and INR 50,000 if you are aged 60 years and above. Moreover, by investing in a health insurance plan for your senior citizen parents, you can claim an additional deduction of INR 50,000. Thus, by investing in a health insurance policy, you can claim a deduction of up to INR 1 lakh and save a tax outgo of INR 30,000 if you are in the highest tax bracket (30%) of the old tax regime. Medical contingencies are unexpected but you can prepare yourself financially to face such contingencies by investing in a health insurance policy. So, buy a health insurance plan and protect your savings from being drained on medical emergencies.
