Stay one step ahead of potential health risks with regular check-ups
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Modern lifestyle has become so inundated with unhealthy habits and sedentary routines that preventing diseases is now an absolute challenge. That’s why doctors are increasingly recommending regular Preventive Health Checkups to have the best chance at the early detection of diseases and avoiding complications.
Health is defined as a state of physical, mental and social well-being, which can be achieved through a balanced diet, physical exercise and adequate sleep and recreation. However, even after taking all the necessary steps, our health is still at risk of falling prey to diseases unexpectedly. A Preventive Health Checkup is, therefore, aimed to recognize and minimize such risk at an early stage.
Research shows that preventive checkups are an effective means of reducing the financial burden of healthcare by detecting potential health issues before they become critical and require expensive treatments. Therefore, Preventive Health Checkup is undoubtedly the key to live a healthier life.
There are numerous benefits of buying Preventive Health Checkups packages. Therefore, to buy a comprehensive Preventive Health Checkup package you need to be aware of its important features, some of these features are listed below:
Valuable and reliable health education.
Assessment of your probability of getting sick.
Early detection of a health condition that can be potentially life-threatening.
Increase chances for receiving early treatment, and sometimes cure.
Regular monitoring of pre-existing health conditions and, thereby preventing the risk of complications.
Results of the check-up can help in increasing longevity if you improve the lifestyle.
Keeping your overall healthcare cost at a minimum by avoiding costly emergency treatments.
Allowing yourself to be actively involved in your health care.
Staying up-to-date and empowered with the latest medical information and technologies.
Ideally, a person of age 30 and beyond should opt for Preventive Medical Check-up. It is used to screen and detect an umbrella of lifestyle diseases, of which the most important ones are:
Diabetes
Hypertension
Heart or Cardiac diseases
Obesity
Increased stress and lack of time for physical exercise and healthful cooking, are the major contributors to developing unhealthy habits. This leads to subsequent and gradual deterioration of our general health and before we know it, lifestyle diseases come knocking at our door.
What’s worse is that some of these lifestyle diseases are ‘silent killers’- they harm our body without causing any symptoms. Therefore, Preventive Health Checkup can help a person screen these diseases in a timely fashion. For example, retinopathy and foot ulcers are common complications of diabetes. With annual eye and foot examinations, you can prevent vision loss and lower-limb amputations. Similarly, it is crucial to control blood pressure and blood cholesterol to alleviate the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Another important purpose of Preventive Health Checkup is the surveillance for cancer. Many cancers are symptomless and not diagnosing them at an early stage can cost lives. Therefore, people at risk of developing cancer can have a better chance of recovery if they invest in regular health checkups.
Blood pressure |
Cholesterol screening |
Heart disease screening |
colorectal cancer |
Cervical cancer screening (for women) |
Eye examination |
Dental exam |
Diabetes |
Immunization |
Infectious disease screening |
Lung cancer screening (for men) |
Breast cancer screening (for women) |
Prostate cancer screening (for men) |
Osteoporosis screening |
Bone mineral density test (for women) |
Pap smear (for women) |
Physical examination |
Testicular examination (for men) |
Skin cancer screening |
Weight test |
Colorectal cancer screening |
Prostate cancer screening |
Breast exam and mammogram (for women) |
Pelvic exam, Pap smear and HPV test (for women) |
Eye exam |
Bone density test |
Hearing test |
Immunizations |
Pneumonia vaccine |
Aneurysm |
Depression screening |
Diabetes test |
Doctor can recommend other tests depending on your health |
Lipid profile |
For women only (pelvic exam & pap smear) |
Hepatitis C |
Physical exam (height, weight, BMI) |
For men only (testicular self-exams) |
Skin self-exam (for skin cancer) |
Other screenings for colon cancer etc. (Talk to your doctor about the same). |
Hypertension |
Heart or Cardiac diseases |
Obesity |
There are various age-specific, gender-specific and disease-specific Preventive Healthcare Packages that you can choose from.
An entire family can enjoy the benefits of full-body check-ups, dietary, ophthalmic and dental consultations. Some hospitals also offer customized packages for men and women.
This package has been designed to identify the risk of heart attacks or strokes and other cardiovascular accidents and provide corrective consultations.
Diabetic patients can avail Diabetes plans to keep their vital organs in the regular check-up and avoid complications.
For early cancer screening and future risk assessment.
Healthcare plans for children up to thirteen years are available and include a range of Pediatric, Ophthalmic, Dental, and general check-ups.
Couples who are struggling to conceive can go for fertility check-ups and receive expert consultations.
Dental Packages outside the regular checkup plans are increasingly becoming popular in many hospitals and dental clinics.
The following tests are usually performed under Preventive Health Check-up:
Type | Tests |
---|---|
Cardiac Indicators | ECG, 2D Echocardiogram, Chest X-ray, Coronary Angiography |
Diabetes | Blood Sugar - Fasting and Random |
Cancer/Tumour Markers | Pap Smear/TVS (For women aged 40 years and above), Breast Mammography for women above 30 years, PSA for men above 45 years |
Liver | Liver enzymes, serum bilirubin |
Kidney | Serum Creatinine, Blood Urea, BUN |
Lipid Profile | Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, Triglyceride |
Abdominal | Abdominal Ultrasound |
Thyroid | TSH, T3 and T4 level |
The appropriate tests for the various age groups are presented in this section.
Infants:
Regular well-baby check-ups with a healthcare professional, including measurements of height, weight, and head circumference.
Hearing screening before leaving the hospital, and regular hearing tests at subsequent appointments.
Eye exam before leaving the hospital, and regular eye exams as needed.
Vaccinations according to the recommended schedule, including for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, and whooping cough.
Developmental screenings to track milestones such as crawling, walking, and talking.
Children:
Regular check-ups with a healthcare professional to monitor growth, development, and general health.
Vision and hearing screenings at appropriate intervals, usually annually.
Dental check-ups every six months to a year, depending on individual needs.
Vaccinations according to the recommended schedule, including boosters for diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.
Blood tests to screen for lead poisoning, as well as screenings for other environmental hazards.
Developmental screenings to monitor progress in areas such as language, social skills, and academic achievement.
Adolescents:
Annual physical exam, including height, weight, blood pressure, and vision screening.
Dental check-up every six months to a year, depending on individual needs.
Vaccinations, such as HPV and meningitis vaccines.
Screening for depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.
Hearing test.
20-30 years:
Annual physical exam, including blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
Dental check-up every six months to a year, depending on individual needs.
Skin cancer screening.
Eye exam every two years, or more frequently if there are any vision changes.
STI screening for sexually active individuals.
30-40 years:
Annual physical exam, including blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
Dental check-up every six months to a year, depending on individual needs.
Mammogram and breast exam for women.
Prostate exam for men.
Colonoscopy screening for colon cancer.
Above 40 years:
Annual physical exam, including blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
Dental check-up every six months to a year, depending on individual needs.
Eye exam every two years, or more frequently if there are any vision changes.
Screening for osteoporosis.
Annual flu shot and pneumonia vaccine.
Above 60 years:
Annual physical exam, including blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
Dental check-up every six months to a year, depending on individual needs.
Hearing test.
Screening for cognitive impairment, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Bone density test to screen for osteoporosis.
Note: These are general guidelines, and individual health needs may vary. Always consult with a healthcare professional to determine what health checks are appropriate for your age and medical history.
You have a great opportunity of enjoying tax exemption of Rs. 5000 on Preventive Health Checkup under Section 80D of Income Tax Act, 1961 enacted by the Government of India.
Under Section 80D, you can claim an overall deduction of Rs. 25,000 on the expenses of Preventive Health Checkups either for yourself, your spouse or your dependent children. You can also claim an additional deduction of up to Rs. 25,000 for insurance of your parents, aged less than 60 years. If the parents are above 60 years, the amount allowed to be deducted is Rs, 50,000, (increased from Rs. 30,000 in Budget 2018). If both the taxpayer and his/her parents above 60 years old, the maximum available deduction is up to Rs.1 lakh.
Opting for a Preventive Health Check-Up regularly allows you to stay ahead of a medical issue which can be in its early stages. In many unfortunate cases, the disease is not detected until it reaches a dangerous stage and treatment may not have the desired impact. This can be avoided with regular screening.
Here is a list of things you can consider while going in for a check-up:
Most of the investigations during the checkup require you to be on an empty stomach, preferably at least 10 hours of fasting
Wear comfortable and loose clothes for easy manoeuvre
For imaging tests such as CT, X-Ray and Bone Densitometry, avoid wearing accessories, or any metallic objects.
Inform your doctor of any pacemaker or denture beforehand
Be sure to commit to regular checkups with as much of healthy lifestyle modification as possible.
Preventive Health Checkups are extremely important in reinforcing healthy lifestyle changes and motivating yourself and your family members. With ACKO's health insurance, you will get an option to get a complete medical examination by a medical practitioner under Preventive Health Check-up.
The comprehensive expert guidance provided during a health checkup can go a long way in supporting your well-being at any age, along with giving you the chance to receive treatments at a more favourable stage.
The following tests are included in ACKO Health Insurance Preventive Check-up:
Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS)
Serum Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)
Complete Blood Count (CBC)
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Serum Total Cholesterol (T Chol)
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
Serum Creatinine
Serum Triglyceride (S. Trig)
Preventive Health Checkup is an early detection tool which helps you keep updated with the changes that your body undergoes as you age. While sometimes a person can show signs and symptoms of a disease, in most cases they go undetected without regular check-ups. Early detection is one of the major benefits of Preventive Health Checkup in terms of a person's health, while things like tax benefit can make it to the list of added advantages. Thus, one should opt for Preventive Health Checkup to strengthen their health insurance portfolio.
Also, read: Health Insurance Plan for Women
The cost of a comprehensive preventive health check-up package can range from Rs. 1000 to 12999 depending upon the type and number of tests and screenings included.
No, as per law it is not necessary to buy health insurance to avail preventive health check-up or claim tax benefit for the same. However, buying adequate health insurance coverage can save a lot of money in case of a medical issue. You can claim for the expenses of hospitalization, ambulance charges, small procedures like tonsilitis, etc. And this coverage can also extend to your family members with the right plan.
Individuals who are 30 years of age or older are recommended to begin exploring the option of preventative check-ups. These check-ups are designed to assess your physical well-being, with the goal of detecting a range of illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease or cardiac issues, obesity, and hypertension.
Hemogram is the complete analysis of blood and yes it is usually included under preventive health check-up as some blood-related diseases can be prevented with regular screening.
Preventive health check-up is a series of tests that are run on a person at regular intervals of time to detect potential diseases at an early stage.
Preventive health check-up is important because many diseases may not show symptoms in its initial stages. They may appear at a later stage when the chances of curing the disease reduce. Through regular screening, one can keep a lookout for any medical issues and detect a possible ailment well in advance when treatment proves to work better and the chances of survival increase.