Why women need to start taking insurance seriously

An equal world is an empowered world. To highlight this equality, International Women’s Day is observed to celebrate womanhood. This year’s campaign theme is drawn from International Women’s Day 2020 notion of ‘Collective Individualism’, #EachforEqual which aims to help women identify their priorities towards themselves and elevate their own existence. And one of the biggest priorities is to be insurance-aware.

Women always contribute immensely to the overall well-being of the family and in the process often neglect their own health. When it comes to insurance, they, unfortunately, underestimate their value and do not take financial protection offered by insurance against many risks in life. Women generally have a predisposition to delay when it comes to taking a financial decision. They are so occupied in juggling home and office, they often forget themselves.

Women’s health issues are unlike men and need special attention. But unfortunately, very few women give importance to their health. According to ManipalCigna’s 360 Well-Being Survey 79% women suffer from stress. Insurers have finally started getting serious about catering to the health insurance needs of women. It has been noted that women have a greater chance to fall prey to critical ailments such as arthritis, diabetes, irregular BP, etc. Health insurance planning cannot be overlooked and should be done as soon as possible.

It is widely presumed that men are more vulnerable to heart ailments, but on the contrary, certain heart diseases only affect women and thus escalate the possibility of coronary artery disease, the primary cause of heart attack.

A woman’s heart is generally reduced in size as compared to that of a man, it is been witnessed that women in as early as the age of 35 years can be at risk of heart disease.

With growing lifestyle problems such as disordered sleep-wake cycles, a rise in the average age of the pregnancy, the number of gestational diabetes cases is projected to increase significantly going forward.

This ailment is affecting millions of women globally and Indian women are not lagging. Many women in India with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus run the risk of developing type-2 diabetes within a few years of giving birth. Type-2 diabetes is the world’s fastest-growing chronic disease.

Working women experience a lot of stress in managing work and household duties. Only 67% of working women participate in Workplace Wellness Programs. This can be taxing on their health which might result in critical illness. The cure for cancer-related diseases is among the most expensive, that can blow away one’s life savings. The cancers that usually affect women are endometrial, breast, colon, cervical, skin, and ovarian cancers. In India, almost more than half a million people succumb to cancer every year.

The modern urban Indian woman is contending against time, traffic and co-workers, battling two or more often entirely different spaces at work and home, and ultimately leading a stress-filled, less health-oriented timetable. Consequently, more and more women are facing issues like the incapability to conceive or infertility.

The reproductive health of Indian women is below the global average due to lack of proper nutrition, derelict rural health care, sanitation, sex education, and transport facility among others.

The intensity and speed of these diseases are ever-increasing, thus it is imperative that women take charge of their health by timely investing for their overall well-being. Disruptive lifestyle patterns result in unhealthy patterns but can be amended if managed with little care and precautions. Financial cover in times of medical emergencies can be the best possible thing to be able to count on.

Nobody plans and gets sick but one can definitely be prepared for the financial aspect. Therefore, to guarantee lifetime access to excellent healthcare, safeguard long-term financial goals and live a healthier life, women need to focus on them before the alarm sounds because they have a family to look after. So this Woman’s Day, take the first step to bring the focus back on yourself and choose a health insurance plan. It is a step towards #EachforEqual.

Women, invest in yourself!

(The writer is Chief Marketing Officer, ManipalCigna Health Insurance)