JOIN USIt is generally believed that clients shy away from medical examinations. Hence, they try to take insurance covers within the defined non-medical limits. Most of the times, even agents/advisors want to avoid medical examination to keep away from detection of any health conditions of the client. This is to avoid being loaded by insurance underwriters and also from the point of view of having a simpler and quicker insurance policy.
Should I undergo a medical examination for an insurance policy or avoid it?
Answer to this question is a very simple ‘Yes’. Having said that, please don’t choose an insurance policy because it is non-medical or medical. Choose an insurance policy because you need a proper risk cover to protect your family. You have to choose an insurance policy with a proper sum assured (approximately five to 10 times your gross annual income) so that you adequately protect your family and secure them financially in the event of an unfortunate death.
Don’t opt for an insurance policy that is just within the maximum non-medical limits so that you can successfully skip medical screening tests, even if advised by your agent / advisor. In order to get adequate insurance coverage, if medical tests are required; go for it. Don’t shy away.
Your correct facts declared in the application form coupled with appropriate medical tests as required by the insurer, will only lead to peace of mind for you from a good claim settlement point of view — which is the main purpose of insurance.
What if medical tests reveal some health concerns?
There are possibilities that you are not aware of some health hazards that you may be carrying. Medical tests done for insurance, bring them out. Based on the underwriting guidelines of the insurance companies, they shall decide the appropriate premium and insurance coverage for you. You are now at peace because of two reasons. Firstly, you can treat the ailment in a timely manner. It wouldn’t have been otherwise possible since you were unaware of the ailment. Secondly, you are covered by an appropriate insurance risk policy. If your medical report shows some sub-standard findings, don’t panic or refute. Find out the best deal that the insurer offers and get yourself covered. This will ensure that despite you having been screened for an ailment, you are adequately insured with an appropriate price for the same.
Take these reports from the insurer policy issuance and next, visit your family doctor for a proper line of treatment or maintenance. There may not be any major cause for concern. Now that you are aware, you can manage it and treat it properly. You are also assured that you are insured. You only have reasons to cheer than to frown or worry because ignorance is not always bliss.
Are medical tests painful?
The insurance medical tests normally consist of physical examination by a doctor, simple blood tests, a simple urine test and sometimes involve an ECG or a treadmill test to detect heart ailments. ECG is a simple non-invasive test. Treadmill test is required only for higher risks — either because of a higher sum assured and / or because of a higher age.
The test requires you to run for around 10-15 minutes on a treadmill, connected to a heart condition monitor. It is done under supervision of a cardiac consultant, who continuously monitors you to see how the heart functions while you are putting your body through stress. Hence, it is also called a stress ECG.
If you pass this test successfully, you get peace of mind that your heart is functioning normally. This is a far superior test than a normal ECG and has a high predictability of any possible heart ailment.
Again, this is not a painful test, except for the normal stress of the 10-15 minutes run that you are required to do. Some blood tests require you to fast for around 10 hours. Here you should ensure that you don’t have a late dinner. You should avoid high cholesterol food or alcohol at night.
A good fasting of at least 10 hours gap ensures a true state of blood report in the early morning. Many insurance companies also provide home visits for blood tests and ECG so that you can get these done in the comforts of your home early in the morning.
(The writer is Senior VP, Customer Value Management & Head - Underwriting & Claims, at Kotak Life Insurance)