Cardiac Care - An Investment You Must Consider

 

Remember the times when fixing an appointment with the doctor and the medical bills were manageable? The days when ailments could only inject psychological distress to the sufferer and their families? The good old days are a bygone now. New medical inventions have now led to a boom in the cost of medical treatment. At least one in every peer group is some or the other illness, because why not? Almost whatever we consume has traces of pesticides in them, also, not to forget, our love for fried and oily food. As Indians, we must be prepared to cope against certain ailments, especially the ones related to heart because of our food habits and lifestyle. With time, cardiovascular diseases are becoming pretty common in India.

The most common cardiovascular diseases include:

1. Coronary artery disease: It damages the major blood vessels of the heart

2. High blood pressure: The force of the blood against the artery wall becomes too high

3. Cardiac arrest: Sudden loss of breathing, heart function and consciousness

4. Congestive heart failure: It is a chronic condition where the heart does not pump blood the way it should

5. Stroke: Interruption of blood supply leading to damage in the brain

Until some years ago, heart diseases were a concern among the elderly people; however, due to our unhealthy lifestyles, cardiac ailments are increasing among the younger generations as well. Cardiac illness doesn't only include huge medical expenses, but the costs of surgery and post surgery care as well.

According to a report by the World Health Organization cited in Times of India, India leads the world with the highest rate of cardiac arrests. One person succumbs to a heart attack every 33 seconds and youngsters are majority in numbers. The figures certainly cannot mean that you would end up suffering from cardiac ailments at later date and you may not plan to invest in cardiac care plans thinking your chances of being the sufferer is minimal, but is the risk worth taking? Nothing can guarantee your belief that you would not end up suffering from any ailment in the future.  

Let's just start planning towards investing in cardiac care plans. HDFC Life Cardiac Care plan is specially designed for cardiac conditions and its procedures. This plan is a fixed benefit plan where you get lumpsum benefits for the conditions charted under this plan. However, you can also tailor make your plan as per your needs with additional plan options.

The Doom of Cardiovascular Diseases

Over the last few decades, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have become a rising concern among India’s young adults. In 2016, the WHO estimated that 17.9 million succumbed to a CVD. In fact, 27% of all non-communicable deaths in India were caused by CVDs. Worryingly, 45% of deaths in the 40 to 69 age group were attributed to CVDs. More and more people today are suffering from high blood pressure, one of the most common precursors to CVDs¹.

Types of Cardiac Diseases

A CVD affects the structure or function of your heart. Here’s a look at the various CVDs that can cause health problems today:

• Arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythms

• Aorta disease

• Congenital heart disease

• Narrowing of the arteries or coronary artery disease

• Pulmonary embolisms or deep vein thrombosis

• Heart failure or heart attack

• Cardiomyopathy

• Heart muscle, heart valve or pericardial disease

• Stroke

• Vascular or blood vessel disease

What Are the Chances of Getting Cardiac Illnesses?

Every individual is unique and there is no way to predict this for certain, but doctors and researchers are attempting to study the incidence of CVDs amongst various groups of people. As per current research, individuals who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop a CVD than peers who are not. Additionally, those who have a large waist circumference will likely develop hypertension and diabetes. Recent studies show that Indians are more likely to develop CVDs than people in other middle-income countries. Worryingly, rural CVD rates are quickly catching up to urban incidence rates in the country.

Why Invest in Cardiac Care?

As more and more people develop CVDs every day, people have realised the importance of cardiac care investment. We never know what lurks around the corner and a medical emergency could take a toll on our health and our finances. Having a policy like HDFC Life Cardiac Care can help alleviate these troubles. Cardiac care policies are designed to cover the treatment of heart diseases. Procedures like a cardiac angiography could cost anywhere between INR 10,000 to INR 15,000. An open-heart surgery ranges between INR 1.75 lakhs to INR 5 lakhs. The cost of bypass or valve surgery costs INR 3 lakhs or more². While these one-time costs are already high, dealing with heart disease is a life-long commitment. You may end up having to take time off from work for check-ups and more, which could negatively impact your finances. With a cardiac care policy, you don’t have to worry about the medical expenses. Your policy will help cover the cost of the procedures, leaving you free to focus on recovery.

How to Choose Cardiac Care?

Most cardiac care policies offer similar benefits. You need to find the plan that offers the coverage you want at a price you can afford. When you choose HDFC Life Cardiac Care, you can choose a sum insured between INR 20,000 and INR 50,00,000. The policy also provides a lump-sum payout benefit in case you are diagnosed with certain heart ailments. A cardiac care policy works in a similar fashion to regular healthcare plans. So, for every year that you do not file a claim against your plan, you can enjoy a no-claim bonus (NCB).

ARN – ED/01/22/27016

¹https://www.who.int/india/health-topics/cardiovascular-diseases#:~:text=In%202016%20India%20reported%2063,well%20as%20overweight%20and%20obesity.

²https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/plan/what-are-the-types-of-heart-diseases-and-costs-of-treating-them/articleshow/87947300.cms?from=mdr

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Heart is where our loved ones reside, then why not start investing to protect it and lead a happy life with your loved ones.