Are You a Working Woman? Here is Why You Need to Invest in a Health Insurance Plan

The women of today would make the women of yesterday proud of their accomplishments. Despite having the odds stacked against them, women today are financially independent, empowered, and decision-makers. In the urban cities especially, women are co-income earners and sometimes even the sole income earners of their home. However, the traditional responsibility of managing the household is still viewed as the primary concern of the woman of the house.

This is because, in our society, the male counterparts are still learning how to share the load of childcare and home management. Considering the gradual but steady shift towards true equality, most women in India have to juggle their household work and professional life, with little to no time left for themselves. This can take a toll on their mental and physical health. To ensure that they have enough support when a health crisis strikes, working women need good health insurance plans – not just a family health plan insurance but an individual mediclaim policy.

Tight work-life schedule

Striking the right work-life balance is difficult for working women. The patriarchal family set up in India considers the woman responsible for domestic duties such as raising the children and taking care of everyone’s health and nutrition. While the scenario is changing with some men sharing the load, the harsh truth is that most women barely manage to take good care of themselves. This tight work-life schedule can take a toll on women’s bodies and can untimely cause health issues. If you are a working woman, it is crucial to ensure that you have ample financial backup in the face of unforeseen eventualities. Without mediclaim insurance, bearing out-of-pocket medical expenses can strain your savings and cause a dip in your investment returns.

More health needs

Due to the responsibility of childbearing assigned to women by nature, every woman, irrespective of whether she wants or does not want a child, has a body that undergoes continuous changes. In fact, the monthly menstruation itself causes cramps, fever, body ache, nausea, migraines and other issues. Compared to men, women go through more physical problems and are more prone to suffering from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer, depression, and so on.

This makes them visit the doctor and hospital more frequently than men do. Considering that their health needs are greater, they need an all-around mediclaim policy. Moreover, the expenses of birthing and taking care of a child’s health needs are always high. This is why working women who also happen to be mothers need a child-only health insurance plan or combined health insurance for children that also supports the mother.

Rising inflation

Inflation is on a continuous rise and affects the price of everything the consumer needs, including quality healthcare services. Bearing medical expenses from your own pocket can deplete your savings. Moreover, even if you manage to save a considerable amount, its value will decrease after factoring in the future inflation rate. This might not be enough to bear medical costs 10 or 20 years down the line. A mediclaim insurance policy provides financial support on par with inflation rates ensuring your savings and investments remain intact.

Moreover, a good health plan covers you against diverse illnesses and health eventualities, accidents and disabilities arising out of them, and critical ailments. Good health insurance plans for women also cover maternity needs, child vaccination and care expenses for a few years and post-hospitalization care for rehabilitation. With the help of a comprehensive mediclaim plan that also offers life cover, a woman can not only save on hospitalisation expenses but also ensure financial security for her family in her absence.

To sum it up:

As a woman, you have specific and different health as compared to men and children. Most health insurance policies for women are designed to protect you from women-centric ailments – either in separate women health insurance policies or in individual mediclaim insurance policies. You can choose either of the two options to secure yourself, but before you do, be sure to compare the benefits offered and the price of the health policies.

Know more about term plan and term insurance at PNB MetLife.

Whether you are trying to lose weight or making a shift towards a healthy life, understanding your BMI (Body Mass Index) is one of the first necessary steps you can make. The BMI calculator can indicate your body’s fat content based on your weight and height. Once you have a clear view of this, you can go through different health insurance plans on the PNB website and secure your future financially against the growing healthcare costs.