Did you know that getting a health checkup every six months can help you save a ton of money? Shocked? It's not really that hard. Read on...
The COVID-19 crisis has caused Indians to be more appreciative of safeguarding their health. As the pandemic worsened, we saw a sharp uptick in people buying health plans. In addition to having a health plan, you can take several small steps to safeguard your health further. The most important of them is a regular health checkup.
We tend to only visit doctors when unwell, but periodic health checkups can be advantageous in several ways. They are a prudent investment in the long run. Health checkups allow a medical professional to examine your body, ensure no worrying signs, and help you take care of any looming health issues.
So, in a world of self-care, could health checkups be the one proper solution for looking after yourself and your finances? There are several ways in which they help you save money upfront, and we have listed out just a few reasons for you.
1. Flag Lifestyle Changes
We are all well aware that smoking, weight gain, and excessive alcohol use can lead to crippling and long-term diseases. However, we only seem to start acting upon them once it is too late.
Without a sense of emergency, lifestyle changes can be difficult to trigger. Regular health checkups show you the impact of unhealthy diets and habits on your body and ring the alarm bells before it is too late. Your doctor can help flag those health risks you are most susceptible to and help prevent diseases and the significant bills accompanying them.
Excessive weight for your body type can put you at risk for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. This could be one of the reasons why overweight individuals tend to pay nearly much more in healthcare costs than those at a healthy weight. Doctors help you with scientific and sustainable ways to lose weight, ensuring you trim those extra kilos, lower your chances of disease, and save you money on medical care.
Similarly, drinking too much alcohol can lead to problems like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. If your doctor believes you may have a drinking problem, they can help provide you with services to make quitting easier.
2. Prepare For Upcoming Expenses
No one enjoys paying for expensive medical treatments, but it can be far worse if you do not have enough time to prepare for them beforehand. If you wait till your body is fighting a medical crisis, you may not have the time to get your finances for these necessary expenses.
Not only do regular health checkups help mitigate long-term health risks, but they also help you time upcoming treatments, such as surgery, to maximize your health and financial benefits. Similarly, regular checkups can help you identify and treat diseases early when they are the least expensive to manage.
3. Save On Overall Healthcare
The self-care measures you take can reduce the cost of your health plan by a significant amount. A regular diet and exercise regime and the absence of harmful habits like smoking can reduce your annual expenses.
Furthermore, regular health checkups will keep you better informed of the genetic and lifestyle diseases you may face in the future, nudging you to buy a health plan early in life. That is one great way of ensuring your premium is as low as possible - the younger you are, the higher the savings.
4. Avoid Surgeries
When not identified early, diseases and illnesses can lead to costly surgeries. Often, minor aberrations in the way our body functions are dismissed by us. It is only when an issue escalates that we end up consulting a doctor. However, regular health checkups provide periodic interactions with your healthcare provider. This helps you share minor problems with your doctor, and they can help identify any significant issues coming your way.
For example, problems such as arthritis, if not detected early, can require very expensive joint replacement surgeries.
Those unable to control their diabetes may need weight loss surgery to treat their disease. Such surgeries can be avoided with regular health checkups, thus saving lakhs in medical treatments.
5. Better Health, Bigger Savings
We often skip necessary routines such as health checkups and annual doctor visits to save money at the moment. However, it is pretty evident now that these steps can be immensely beneficial in the long run.
So, book that appointment today, get your checkups in order, and protect your health and savings. Remember, there's nothing as precious as your health and all the money you save while taking care of it!
With Kenko Plans, you get discounts and home-sample collection on diagnostic tests and other OPD benefits like medicines, doctor fees and more. Check our plan here.
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