World Diabetes Day: To a Healthier Future

Health insurance policies have come a long way in providing comprehensive protection to the policyholders. In recent times, insurance companies have come forward to specifically address the insurance needs of people who are suffering from illnesses like diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic and severe disease which has over 442 million affected people worldwide, with 30 million patients in India. Medical studies have shown that diabetes is affecting a patient’s life much earlier in India than most countries, leaving chronic-long term complications. The sudden rise in the patients and the ever-increasing medical expenses have made it critical to consider investing in a comprehensive health insurance plan specific to diabetes.

Tips to Manage and Control Diabetes

Mainly there are two type of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Patients suffering from type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin while type 2 diabetes restricts a patient from responding to insulin in an ideal manner. Both type of diabetes can result in chronically high blood sugar levels.

Diabetes is a disease without a cure, which has to be managed for avoiding long term complications. There are many ways through which one can manage and control diabetes—some pertaining to lifestyle and some to life decisions.

On World Diabetes Day, here are some tips for managing and controlling the effect of diabetes on your life:

• Being Active:

  Exercising or other physical activities can significantly lower the risk of complications in diabetic patients. Being active for 30 minutes a day can result in lower blood sugar levels and increased sensitivity to insulin.

• Fibre Rich Diet:

  A fibre rich diet including vegetables, fruits, whole grains etc. helps to manage diabetes by keeping the blood sugar levels low and reducing the risk of heart diseases.

• Avoiding Weight Gain:

  Obesity is a top contributor to adverse effects on the health of diabetic patients. Avoiding processed food, sedentary lifestyle and managing a healthy nutritional diet should be considered to deal with diabetes.

• Regular Health Checkups:

  The one thing diabetic patients should never avoid is regular health checkups. Visiting the doctor to evaluate the current health and to see how it is affecting the body is vital in the management of diabetes.

• Comprehensive Diabetes Insurance Policy:

  The best thing a diabetic patient can do is to invest in a comprehensive diabetes insurance plan. A diabetes insurance plan will help you to manage the high medical costs related to diabetes without having to pay for them from your own pockets.

What does an ideal Diabetes Insurance Plan look like?

A person suffering from diabetes must have an insurance plan directed towards diabetes and its expenses. If you are looking to buy a diabetes insurance plan, you should consider the following features:

• Restoring Benefit:

  Restoring benefit can allow a policyholder to increase the sum assured during the claim years. For example, for a policy of 20 lakh, if only 5 lakh is claimed in a single year, the remaining 15 lakh is added back to the basic policy amount, increasing a sum assured to 35 lakh.

• HbA1C Benefit:

  HbA1C is a diagnostic test, needed to calculate the blood sugar levels, which are always fluctuating in diabetic patients. As the test is needed every 2-3 months, having a policy which covers the cost is beneficial in the long run.

• Cost of Medicines:

  To manage the illness, diabetic patients are required to take numerous medicines on a regular basis that can burn a hole in the savings. A comprehensive diabetes insurance plan reimburses the policyholder with the expenses incurred on the expensive medicines.

• Hospitalization:

  In case of complications arising due to diabetes, the patient can be hospitalized for further treatment. Hospitalization and treatment costs are significantly high for a diabetic patient. Therefore, the diabetes insurance policy must cover hospitalization charges.

The major challenge associated with diabetes in India is the lack of awareness of the factors that can help to mitigate the adverse effects on the physical and financial well-being. In a bid to raise awareness regarding diabetes and its effects, 14th November is celebrated every year as World Diabetes Day. A vital part of the awareness plan, an all-inclusive diabetes insurance plan can allow you to cover expenses up to Rs 6 crores with just paying a nominal amount as your monthly premium. You can visit PINC Insurance for further details about the best suited diabetes insurance plans.