Most people today know the importance of health insurance, but many aren’t aware of the perks that come with it beyond the traditional scope of insurance. The primary goal of health insurance is to secure your finances in an accident, illness, or hospital stay.
Since healthcare costs are rising daily, getting health insurance ready in case of a medical emergency is essential. Many people have the misconception that health insurance only covers medical expenses related to hospitalization. However, there are many other hidden benefits of health insurance in addition to basic policy perks. Let’s take a look at some of the extra perks that are likely to come with your health insurance policy.
Medical Check-Ups
Staying in touch with your body and mind through timely medical check-ups is vital. Most health insurance policies come with annual medical check-ups, typically with no additional fee. This helps to detect illnesses early and prevent further complications. Most policyholders hesitate to use this feature because of the misconception that they will have to pay higher premiums when renewing the policy if their medical reports don’t come back with a perfect bill of health. The good news is that it doesn’t work that way, so you can make full use of your policy’s perks!
No Claim Bonus
Along with covering medical costs for those hospitalized due to sickness or an accidental injury, health insurance additionally offers perks to people who don’t utilize it or lodge no claims during the policy term. These individuals get an incentive to increase their insurance coverage amount without having to contribute to a separate premium.
Up to 100% of the original amount insured under health insurance can be recovered as a “No Claim Bonus.” This concession, which enhances coverage at no additional charge, benefits older adults who may be more prone to specific illnesses due to their age. These include concerns relating to the heart, cancer, hypertension, and diabetes.
Counseling in Diet & Weight Loss
Most health insurance plans offer diet counseling for people with chronic medical conditions or obesity. This applies to people at an increased risk of contracting type 2 diabetes or both, high blood pressure, renal disease, etc. Your health insurance might cover nutritional counseling sessions with a nutritionist or might be refunded as an act of prevention.
No Loading Fee
At the time of policy renewal, the policyholder must pay an extra premium fee, known as a loading fee. This fee is generally applied to high-risk individuals.
An individual intending to get an insurance policy must pay a certain amount for coverage and benefits. However, if the premium amount increases, policyholders might refrain from enjoying the actual health insurance benefits. Hence, health insurance companies have offered a feature that even if policyholders raise a claim, they will be free from loading charges when renewing the policy.
No Age Restraint
Presently, health insurance is available at every stage of life. People may bundle their basic hospitalization coverage with upgraded coverage to reduce insurance costs and still have adequate protection for healthcare emergencies.
Individuals may benefit from protection and tax benefits at a young age when tax-saving customized products with a low hospitalization cover are provided.
In the family stage, individuals can get a family floater policy and look for policies that have maternity care, preferably with a waiting period attached. Among the choices provided are packages that cover the costs of children’s vaccination appointments and OPD visits.
When diseases caused by aging and poor lifestyle habits start showing up in middle age, individuals may consider expanding the maximum insured to include people with relatively high coverage.
Given the entry age restrictions and current diseases, getting appropriate and economical coverage might be challenging at post-retirement age. Therefore, planning health insurance early in life may help people have a better retirement plan because one of the most significant expenses of old age is medical costs.
Fitness Center Membership
Health campaigns generally promote exercising. Studies show that being physically active correlates with better heart and mental fitness. Many health insurance companies cover the entire sum or a part of the cost of a fitness center membership. They may even provide free virtual workouts or access to many gyms free of charge.
Wigs & Breast Reconstruction
Although wigs or cosmetic surgeries may be considered elective and not covered by health insurance, there are certain cases where concessions may be made. For instance, health insurance covers the cost of buying wigs for cancer patients who lose their hair due to chemotherapy treatment. Plans may vary but typically cover 80% -100% of this cost.
Not many people know that insurance covers breast reconstruction after a mastectomy. Repairing the breast contour is a medical procedure known as breast reconstruction. However, only a few patients opt for this procedure.
Pre- & Post-Hospitalization Costs
Alongside the diagnosis procedure completed before and after treatment, patients seeking healthcare at a hospital are scheduled for several hospital visits. Many health insurance policies consider these expenses.
For instance, these policies cover hospital charges but generally also include coverage for pre-hospitalization for a certain amount of time, usually 15-60 days before the treatment. After you get discharged from the hospital, they additionally compensate you for the prices of medicines, medical tests, and follow-up appointments. Some health insurance plans can recover the above expenses 30 -90 days after a patient is discharged.
Helps To Quit Smoking
There are multiple benefits of quitting tobacco, irrespective of how long you have been smoking or your age. Being a non-smoker reduces the risk of so many fatal diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart attack, etc.
According to research, many tobacco-cessation treatments and medications are covered by health insurance plans with prior authorization from patients. However, patients may need to pay a coinsurance or copay to subtract the costs from their deductibles.
There are so many expenses that we ignore during a medical emergency. However, having these surprising benefits on top of the primary policy is a bonus for people who have health insurance. Therefore, pick a health insurance policy with the benefits mentioned earlier to lessen the financial burden during a medical emergency.
