Saturday, May 21, 2011

Why you should buy Health Insurance?

1. Good health is most important thing in your life. When you need health care treatment then you must have it, otherwise the whole world seems to be worth nothing to you.

2. Health care costs are increasing due to

• Normal inflation due to increase in petrol costs, electricity costs, taxation, imposition of new levies/taxes.

• Improvement in medical technology results in availability of new equipment, which is better, more accurate in diagnosis. We have moved step by step from x-ray, digital x-ray, CAT scan, MRI, modern models of MRI. More developments will be coming.

• Development of new/better medicines due to application of Biotechnology/ genetics. As high R+D costs are involved and extensive clinical trials cost lot of time/money therefore their price is definitely on the high side in the beginning.

• Highly skilled doctors/nurses/paramedical staff is attracted by developed countries as a result of which health care providers have to increase compensation level to retain the staff.

• Real estate cost is high and is increasing.

All these points indicate/confirm that costs will go up year by year and you have to be prepared for it. We foresee health care costs to go up by 21% in next year.

Many a times I have come across person telling me- I own 3 flats in Gurgaon and if I needed will sell 1 of that to pay for my medical treatment. Reality is that it does not happen. You won’t sell one bathroom of your flat to pay for knee replacement.

You must have a good health insurance policy to take care of your needs.

Some people say that they will go to government or charitable hospital for treatment, when the need arises.

Recently I came across photograph of Safdarjung Hospital, a very famous hospital in New Delhi

The cost of treatment in this hospital may be less but due to excessive pressure to cater to large number of patients you may have to compromise on many things time you should not be surprised if you have to wait for 6 months for MRI test.

Shortage of ventilators has resulted in a stage that attendants or relatives of patients are being asked to pump manual ventilator to revive patients.

You have to make up your mind whether you will like to have good treatment in a good hospital and that too with dignity or you will like to shorten your life. Choice is yours.

1 comment:

Kapil said...

Very good description of the need for health insurance. I wish more people would realize the devastating impact of disease.

Kapil Mehta