What is preventive health care packages in India
Preventive health care packages in health insurance are the basic medical plans which are intended to help people to remain healthy by detecting any health-related problems at an early stage. Most of the insurers and healthcare providers across the country offer preventive health check-up packages. They are best suited to those individuals who are looking to undergo regular check-ups concerning their health.
Let us explore here everything about preventive healthcare packages, its types, tests included, and tax deductions available on it.
Types of Preventive Healthcare Packages
In India, insurers offer various types of preventive healthcare packages, depending on the type of patient.
Regular check-up packages: These packages offer you to avail of the benefits of regular check-ups at specific hospitals to be aware of the current state of health on a frequent basis.
Family packages: Under this plan, a policyholder can avail of preventive healthcare services for the entire family. From kids to adults, everybody is covered under the same plan. It provides consultations with specialists from the top hospitals at an affordable cost. One can have customized health plans separately for men and women according to specific medical needs.
Packages for children: Under this plan, policyholders can avail of the health care plan for their children aged up to 13 years of age. It includes pediatrics, ophthalmology, dental, radiology service, ENT, general check-up, etc.
Executive/Corporate packages: Under this package, corporate employers can procure preventive healthcare plans for all their employees at discounted rates from any of the hospitals across India which were part of the health plan. These corporate packages are customized according to the needs of the organization.
Diabetes packages: Under this preventive health care plan, customers can go for a check-up of vital organs such as the check-up of the heart, liver, brain, and kidney.
Dental packages: Under this health plan, one can go for a specialized dental check-up which is done by the recognized medical institutions.
Cancer packages: Under this package, a policyholder can avail the treatment related to cancer from the network hospitals in India. The screening programs included under this plan helps in the early detection and curing of fatal diseases.
Cardiac packages: These are the customized plans that offer screening procedures, check-ups, and consultations related to the cardiac-related ailments. The regular check-ups and screening procedures under this health plan helps in identifying the risk of heart-related diseases at an early stage. With the help of this package, the policyholder can undergo a complete cardiac check-up at various hospitals across India.
Fertility packages: Under this package, customers can go for free check-ups and tests for assessing the fertility quotient and ovarian function. Apart from that, it also covers free consultations with fertility experts and doctors.
The policyholder is free to choose the preventive health care plan that is best suited according to his/her medical requirements. The primary purpose of these packages is to keep individuals aware of their health condition and avoid the risk of fatal health issues. Neglecting a disease may lead to irreversible conditions.
Need for Preventive Health Care Plans
The policyholder is free to choose the preventive health care plan that is best suited according to his/her medical requirements. The primary purpose of these packages is to keep individuals aware of their health conditions and avoid the risk of fatal health issues. Neglecting a disease may lead to irreversible conditions.
Common Tests Included Under Preventive Health Care Plans:
Usually, under preventive health care plans, the tests included are:
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Cholesterol levels
- Diabetes tests
- Blood tests
- Pap smear
- Cancer screening
- Genetic testing
- HIV tests
Each package included under the preventive plan package will be customized according to the customer’s medical needs and requirements.
Tax Exemption on Preventive Health Care Plans
Under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961, policyholders can claim the tax deduction for the preventive health care plan. There is a tax waiver of Rs. 50,000 for expenditure incurred on preventive health check-up in a particular financial year. This deduction can be claimed on an individual basis and is irrespective of whether the person has a health insurance policy or not. This is to be included in the overall deduction of Rs. 25,000 for payment of premium towards health insurance plan for the policyholder and his/her family. It is important to note here that, policyholders can avail of several tax deductions only if they opt for the old regime.
