Health Insurance

Monsoon is the much awaited season after the scorching summers. As summers burn and dry the land, monsoons provide the much needed hydration and greenery. Moreover, with the onset of monsoons the sweltering temperatures mellow down and become bearable. Who doesn’t enjoy getting wet in the rains and revisiting those long-forgotten childhood days?

Though monsoons are welcomed with open arms, there are various illnesses and health conditions which become dominant during this season. Cold, fever, diarrhoea, fungal infections, etc. are quite common during monsoons. Do you know how you can avoid them and stay healthy?

Here are some precautions which should be taken to ensure a healthy monsoon –

Avoid street food

As lip-smacking as they might be, street food is unhygienic and, during monsoons, the unhygienic quotient increases manifold. The chances of water-borne diseases become very high and you might contract a severe case of diarrhoea, typhoid, etc. So, stay away from street food. The same food is served at restaurants too and if you crave the spicy and tangy taste, visit restaurants which maintain proper hygiene and indulge your cravings.

Carry an umbrella, always

When monsoons start, rains sometime become unpredictable. A very beautiful and sunny day can change into a rainy one within hours. So, whenever you step outside, always carry an umbrella or a raincoat to protect against getting drenched. Fevers and cold and cough are the common end result of a splash in the rain because during monsoons your body’s immunity reduces and the change in the season makes you prone to bacterial or viral infections. So, if you want to stay healthy, try and avoid getting wet.

Have a balanced diet

Having a balanced diet is the key to maintaining a good health in all seasons, monsoons included. With a change in the season your body metabolism also needs a change. So, switch over to lighter foods which are easily digestible as digestion takes a beating in monsoons. Indulge in seasonal fruits and vegetables but clean them thoroughly before consumption. Go organic to avoid the intake of harmful chemicals in your food. Choose hot beverages like soups, tea, coffee, etc. when the weather turns cold to warm the body. Lastly, drink 3 to 4 litres of water everyday even if you don’t feel very thirsty. Water consumption is essential to flush out the toxins from the body and should not be avoided.

Insect proof your home and office

Monsoon brings with it mosquitoes and flies as these insects find favourable breeding conditions in the season. You must be familiar with the host of illnesses caused by mosquitoes and houseflies especially dengue and malaria. In severe cases of dengue or malaria, hospitalisation might be required and these ailments can also prove fatal. So, invest in good mosquito repellents. Lather mosquito repellent creams or wear a patch on your clothes to avoid mosquito bites when stepping out. Children should be especially protected as they are more prone to mosquito borne illnesses. Use mosquito repellent sprays, liquidators, creams or patches but keep your home and work-space insect-free.

Exercise

A healthy diet and exercise are the two fundamental elements which keep your body healthy and illness-free. So, as you take care of your diet, don’t forget to exercise. Go for a walk or jog or, if the rains make it difficult to exercise outdoors, hit the gym. Even aerobics, Yoga, Pilates or work-outs done at home would be sufficient.

Invest in a health insurance plan

There is no guarantee on your health. Even if you are health conscious and take the above-mentioned steps, you can reduce the probability of falling sick but cannot eliminate it. So, to protect against the expensive medical costs incurred in case of a sickness or illness, invest in a good health insurance policy. The policy would be an added tool in your safety arsenal and protect you from health-related costs which double during monsoons due to common illnesses. Opt for a comprehensive plan which covers all possible aspects of an illness and choose a decent sum insured which would be optimal to meet the high medical costs.

Welcome monsoons with open arms and in anticipation of relief from the scorching temperatures but don’t forget to safeguard your health. After all, you cannot enjoy monsoons when you are lying sick in your bed, can you?

To protect your health or life through best Insurance Solution or any other queries, write to us at [email protected]

Quitting smoking is a marathon, not a sprint. Remember from the start that it is not possible to quit smoking in a day. Decide that it's time to quit and stick to your lifechanging decision.

DID YOU KNOW?

• 79% of the smokers smoke more than 1 cigarette a day
• Cigarettes contain over 400 toxic chemicals in which 50 lead to cancer
• In India, 1 person dies every 6 seconds due to tobacco
• Passive smoking is equally harmful

Tips to cope with the urge to smoke

• Avoid triggering activities like going to bars, drinking coffee or gathering with smoker friends.
• Keep substitutes for cigarettes on hand at all times, like chewing gum, candy, nicotine patch etc.
• Keep your hands busy using a stress ball, pencil or marbles. This will distract your mind from craving for a smoke.
• Practice meditation regularly to be strong mentally and deal with cravings.
• Incorporate various activities & hobbies into your daily routine. This will help you stay busy.
• Surround yourself with people who have also quit smoking and gather psychological support from them.
• Reward yourself for your success by buying new clothes, eating a good meal, etc. this will keep you more focused.

To protect your health or life through best Insurance Solution or any other queries, write to us at [email protected]

The benefits of exercise are too numerous to ignore. From better overall health to combating depression to preventative care; exercise is one of the best medicines for your body and mind.

RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY A DAY

Adults: 30 mins, 7 DAYS A WEEK

Children: 60 mins, 7 DAYS A WEEK

Benefits of Exercising

Physical

• Helps you live longer
• Helps strengthen bones & muscle
• Improves mental health
• Helps control your weight

Mental:

• Helps you feel better
• Helps increase confidence
• Helps your body to have high pain tolerance
• Helps improve brain power

How to make exercise a habit that sticks

• Start small and build momentum
• Choose activities that make you feel happy and confident
• Think outside the gym
• Pair it with something you enjoy

To protect your health or life through best Insurance Solution or any other queries, write to us at [email protected]

6 out of 10 people list improving their physical health as their New Year resolution, yet more than 2 million new cancer cases are recorded every year. Most of these cancers are preventable with a change in our lifestyle and habits.

Cancer Causing Factors & its Preventive Measures

Excessive intake of tobacco

• Avoid the use of tobacco
• 28% of all cancer deaths in are caused due to excessive use of tobacco

Poor Nutrition

• Eat a variety of organically grown fruits & vegetables
• Your diet has a powerful effect on your health. Limiting intake of foods that are high in sugar, salt and fat while increasing consumption of fruit, vegetables and pulses can help to maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce your risk of cancer.

Physical inactivity

• Be Active
• Aim to get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. Being physically active contributes to a healthy lifestyle

Unhealthy weight

• Be physically active
• Walk whenever and wherever you can, and put some pep in your step! You can break up your walking routine to include it evenly over the day.

Over UV rays exposure

• Avoid too much sun
• Skin cancer is the most common cancer but it is also one of the most preventable cancers.

Excessive Alcohol intake

• Limit Alcohol intake
• Drinking alcohol can cause at least seven types of cancer: mouth, gullet, throat, liver, large bowel and breast.There is no ‘safe’ level of drinking, but the risk of cancer is lower the less alcohol you drink.

To protect your health or life through best Insurance Solution or any other queries, write to us at [email protected]

DID YOU KNOW!!!

• 10-15 minutes of laughter burns about 50 calories.
• People who laugh often require significantly less pain medication
• ‘laughter therapy’ has been shown to significantly improve sleep quality.
• Watching a funny movie increases blood flow by 22% which improves the condition of your heart and can help prevent heart attacks.

BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER:

• Enhances Mood
• Boosts the immune system
• Lowers bad cholesterol
• Reduces stress-related hormones
• Induces positive emotional states
• Lowers blood pressure

IMPROVE YOUR LIFE WITH LAUGHTER

• Laughter is contagious, so try to be around people who laugh and smile a lot.
• Even anticipating a laugh reduces stress hormones, so plan some fun events during the week.
• Can't get into meditation? Laugh—It helps you feel focused and think more clearly.

EASY WAYS TO LAUGH MORE

• Watch a favorite stand-up comedian
• Call a few friends and meet up
• Re-watch comedy movies that always crack you up.
• Play fetch with an energetic dog. (Borrow a friend's if you have to. A dog is bound to crack you up eventually.)

To protect your health or life through best Insurance Solution or any other queries, write to us at [email protected]

The true test of a health insurance plan is when you raise a claim. If the insurance company settles the claims quickly your trust in health insurance increases and you ensure to opt for a health plan year on year. However, if there is some dispute in claim settlement, it is a cause of grief. Either because you have not followed the claim process correctly or the company is rejecting your claim on a justified basis, you get stuck with the medical expenses. Even if the insurance company settles your claim partially, the financial strain is felt by policyholders. That is why, when buying a health insurance plan, the company’s claim settlement ratio is given consideration by many. Do you understand the ratio or is it just another technical jargon which gets you confused?

What is health insurance claim settlement ratio?

The Claim Settlement Ratio, also called CSR in short, is the ratio which depicts an insurance company’s claim settlement history. It is calculated as the number of claims settled by the company against the number of claims received. So, if the company settles 90 claims out of 100, the CSR would be 90%.

Important features of Claim Settlement Ratio

The CSR has three important features which are as follows –

• CSR is calculated for one financial year starting from 1st April and ending on 31st March. Thus, the number of claims received and settled by the insurance company during this tenure would be used to calculate the CSR. If any claim is received in the same financial year but not closed within 31st March, it would not be considered for calculation. For instance, if the insurance company receives 2 claims in March and the settlements are done in April, these two claims would be added to claims received but not to claims settled.
• CSR takes into account the number of claims and not their values.
• CSR is published by the IRDA (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority) every year. This CSR gives the true data of the experience of claim settlement of insurance companies.

Is the claim settlement ratio important?

Though a lot of importance is attached with CSR, it is not a very important and correct parameter to judge an insurance company. Here are the reasons why –

• The ratio denotes the total claims settled. It does not tell you the time taken by the insurance company to settle these claims. An insurance company should be judged based on the TAT (Turn Around Time) of claim settlement not the numbers. Since the time doesn’t factor in the CSR calculation you get no idea on the company’s average claim settlement time.

To calculate the number of claims settled, three types of settlements are considered –

1. The number of claims for which payment has been done
2. The number of claims rejected
3. The number of claims closed because of no follow-up by the policyholder

Thus, claims settled represent the number of claims on which the insurance company took an action and which were closed. It doesn’t only represent the claims for which payment has been done. So, even if the insurance company has rejected a major proportion of its claims, its CSR might be higher since the reported claims have been closed. So, don’t rely completely on the CSR thinking it increases the probability of your claim being approved.

Thus, claims settled represent the number of claims on which the insurance company took an action and which were closed. It doesn’t only represent the claims for which payment has been done. So, even if the insurance company has rejected a major proportion of its claims, its CSR might be higher since the reported claims have been closed. So, don’t rely completely on the CSR thinking it increases the probability of your claim being approved.

• CSR might also be published by insurance aggregators or distributors. Only the data published by IRDA is reliable. The other data might be distorted since you might not find the data of all insurers on the distributor or aggregator website. Even if insurance companies publish their own data you should cross-check the data with the regulator’s reports.

The final word

As stated above, CSR is not the best parameter to compare health insurance plans. Though it gives you a picture of the claim settlement experience of the insurance company, you should prioritize other factors first. First, you should find the health insurance plans available for your requirements. When you find such plans you should compare the coverage features. A plan with exhaustive features should be your ideal choice. After you are satisfied with the coverage features, the premium should be compared. You wouldn’t want to pay higher premiums, would you? Choose a plan which offers the most comprehensive coverage at the most reasonable premiums. After you are satisfied with the coverage and the premium, you can look at other factors including CSR. Though CSR should be a factor when comparing health plans, it should not be a deciding one.

To protect your health or life through best Insurance Solution or any other queries, write to us at [email protected]