Insuring Wellness

Domestic insurance companies need to promote treatments which reduce dependence on modern drugs and investigations. International insurance companies reduce premiums if you are a non-smoker or have quit smoking

- ​​​​​​​Dr KK Aggarwal

HEALTH insurance holders are likely to get more wellness and preventive features, including Outpatient Department (OPD) consultations or treatments, pharmaceuticals, health check-ups and diagnostics, and discount vouchers in gyms and yoga centres in a policy package as part of the draft guidelines being framed by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA).

Some insurance companies have reduced premiums and are offering discount coupons to clients who join gyms, quit smoking or live a healthy lifestyle, including doing regular yoga. The idea is to reduce hospital admissions and severity of diseases.

The services proposed include “outpatient consultations or treatments, pharmaceuticals, health check-ups/diagnostics”, including discounts on these services by redeemable vouchers. How ever, these open and direct incentives to policy holders will also need strict monitoring in order to prevent unhealthy competition and misuse.