If You Are Healthy, Do You Really Need Health Insurance?

If You Are Healthy, Do You Really Need Health Insurance?

A lot of individuals who are healthy or mostly healthy young adults in their twenties are easily tempted to skip getting health insurance. It is quite common to hear them say “I hardly ever visit a doctor; and it is too expensive to buy insurance just now; so I’ll think about it later” or something like “I’m really fit and don’t think I will need this for another few years.”

Most individual don’t want to worry about paying insurance premiums when completely healthy and feel they can take that added expensive later rather than immediately. However this may be faulty reasoning considering today’s costly and fast paced environment; making it is essential for everyone to at least have some sort of health insurance. Also getting an insurance policy is much more economical and easier at a younger age when a person is generally healthier; rather than directly at an older age in which case the person would require to pass a series of medical tests and settle for much higher premiums.

Here are some good reasons why even a healthy person should consider signing up for health insurance cover.

Peace of mind

Let’s face it; that it is highly likely at some point or another everyone needs medical care and in such a case without insurance they would end up with having to pay a large sum of money all by themselves. For example today something regular while growing up; such as a broken leg from playing sports can cost a hefty sum of money, especially in the case the patient may need to stay at a hospital for one night.

Moreover chronic illness which are rather costly seem to be increasing even among young adults which in itself is a disturbing scenario and to add to that one does not need to deal with the worry of paying costly medical bills all by themselves. Hence having a health insurance plan though unable to provide any relief from the pain of the illness; can definitely help provide some peace of mind financially to the recovering patient.

Investment not cost

Most young adults opt out of getting health insurance plans as they feel they don’t want an added burden, as they already may have college or home loans or other such loans they need to pay. However there are various lower premiums available which are more affordable. Moreover in case of a mishap the lower premiums may be a big boon; hence we need to look at them as an investment for future rather than as a cost or burden

Medical emergencies can be very costly

Medical emergency can occur anytime which can include anything from a fall from a bicycle to a sudden illness. They come without any prior notice and dealing with them can be highly expensive; which can even lead to large amount of medical debt and a very complex situation. Generally at such a time an individual is unable to do any sort of work either, which could mean losing a job or certain amount of money. Hence getting a health insurance is not only crucial but also essential to protect against such sort of an emergency.

Preventative care more likely with insurance

Not having a policy could mean avoiding routine check-ups or getting treated for minor things which could easily escalate into much bigger ailments later on. Prevention and early treatment are one of the best ways to avoid a visit to the hospital in the future. Various preventive services such as routine physicals, immunizations and screenings may be included in the cover without much increase in premium costs.

Getting an insurance policy promotes regular health exams and tests which can help identify problems before they start. This also helps identify problems early on, when the chances for treatment and cure are better and much less costly. Moreover if an individual has never had any health insurance plan; it is very difficult to get the insurance cover later on in case diagnosed with a serious medical condition.

Finally the verdict is of course that getting an insurance health plan is very important for any individual, even if it is a high deductible plan as it is much easier to pay part of a medical bill than the entire bill. Getting a policy is not a luxury but actually a necessity; due to which various different types of policies are available. If you are planning to buy a policy, you can try HDFC ERGO health insurance plans with most of the important benefits covered. As per one’s necessity a person may choose from the various health plans available- right from general health insurance to critical illness cover. Most offer a large number of network hospitals where one can utilize the insurance cover easily.

Great! You’ve successfully signed up.

Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.

You've successfully subscribed to Drishtikone - Online Magazine on Geopolitics and Culture from Indian Perspective.

Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.

Success! Your billing info has been updated.

Your billing was not updated.