Why every woman should have a health insurance policy

A woman holds an important role in her home. In India, the government and society give importance to education for every girl child to ensure that they take up a career that will provide them financial security. However, at the end of the day, these women come home to take care of their daily household chores and family. A woman takes on multiple responsibilities while putting her health on the backburner. To cut the long story short, many a times only when the woman, the cornerstone, of the family falls sick will the members of the family be shaken out of their comfort zone. The family will not only be emotionally drained but are also financially broken in most cases. To avoid such a situation the families should ensure that their women folk who are the pillar of their homes are insured adequately.

Today, many health insurance providers have health plans specifically designed for women. These health plans are available for career women, homemakers and also for single or married women. There are many single mothers who are either a divorce, unwed or widows who are the head of the household. If these women become critically ill, who would bear the burden of their hospital bills? Therefore, investing in a health plan policy is not an option but a necessity. Here we have put together a few pointers why every woman should have a health plan in place.

• Changed lifestyle and day-to-day routine- Urban women constitute 25% of the workforce in India. According to a study conducted by industry House ASSOCHAM, “Preventive Health Care and Corporate Female Workforce”, reveals that women belonging to the age group between 21 and 52 years suffer from life style diseases such as chronic back pain, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and stress-related diseases such as depression. Even the stay-at-home women folk are prone to the above-mentioned health issues once they cross 40 years. Investing in a health insurance provides financial security at the time of medical contingency.
• Health cover for maternity- Maternity bills are high these days. Those who are planning to start a family in the next couple of years should look out for health insurance plan which provides maternity benefits as well as provides coverage for the new born right from the day of birth. Though initially maternity cover was made available only for working woman by their concerned organizations these days there are many insurance providers who make this available through their retail health plans.

• Menopause and its effect on woman’s health-It’s believed that women are prone to many health related risks compared to men. On the onset of menopause many hormonal changes occur in a woman’s body. Menopause involves decrease in the level of the female hormone, estrogen. Estrogen used to protect woman from heart related disorders. However, after menopause woman are equally prone to heart diseases as men are. At this stage additional cover over what is already in place is a necessity.

• Susceptible to bone-related diseases- With advancing age women are susceptible to bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis, osteopenia Turf Toe, Paget’s Disease and many more. Please check whether your health plan provides coverage for most of the bone-related diseases.

• Vulnerable to critical illness-Treatments for the life threatening illness that are specific to women such as ovarian cancer, breast cancer, vaginal cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, fallopian tube cancer can prove to be expensive. Therefore it is always better to invest in a health insurance that provides cover for women specific critical illness at a young age.

Health insurance companies in India have realized that modern Indian women are looking out for a comprehensive and quality insurance product within the Indian context where the husband’s help in household chores and responsibilities is limited. With the increased burden of responsibilities woman’s health is critical.

Therefore having a solid health plan in place creates stability and gets rid of health-related worries and anxiety. Women can seek quality treatment when they are under the coverage of health insurance. When a woman is under the shelter of insurance she can go for regular check-ups without having to think twice about the expenses. There are even some insurance companies which provide a lump sum of money to the insured woman who have lost her job three months after she has been diagnosed with any critical illness such as cancer. In short, having a health insurance policy allows them to take good care of their personal well-being.