1. Financial SecurityPeople suffering from hypertension are at increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and vision loss; this clinical condition can lead to medical emergencies. With healthcare costs constantly rising, the expenses incurred on hospitalization, pre and post hospitalization care, doctor consultations, medicines, diagnostic tests, and surgeries can cause severe financial hardship for a person suffering from hypertension. With health insurance, you will get financial protection against hefty medical bills as the insurer will take care of the expenses up to the sum insured. All you need to do is focus on getting well and not stress about the costs.
2. Access to healthcare: Hypertension requires constant monitoring and regular visits to the doctor to prevent any complications. With health insurance, the policyholder can get access to healthcare services and specialists from a wide network of hospitals that provide cashless treatment. These regular check-ups can help in early detection and management of potential complications, thereby reducing the risk of serious health risks.
3. Access to quality treatment: Private hospitals have better infrastructure than government hospitals, which is one reason they are expensive. With comprehensive healthcare insurance policyYou can get the best medical treatment without worrying about the costs during an emergency or planned procedures. If you get treated at an insurer’s network hospital, you can avail cashless treatment.
4. waiting periodHealth plans have a waiting period of up to 3 years for pre-existing medical conditions like hypertension. If you already buy a healthcare plan, you can complete the waiting period before you get emergency hospitalisation due to hypertension and related ailments.
5. Coverage for Mental Health: stress causes high blood pressure, Therefore, it is important for the patient to manage stress with the help of therapy, stress management courses and programs, lifestyle changes, medications, and mental health professionals. Most healthcare policies cover the costs of these stress management practices as a value-added service. However, check with your insurance provider once if these services are covered in your policy.
6. Affordable Premium: When you buy health insurance at a young age and do not have any chronic health issues, the premium will be low as you fall in the low-risk category. With age, you become more susceptible to diseases, which leads to higher premiums. So, if there is a disease like high blood pressure in your family, buy a health insurance policy as soon as possible so that you get comprehensive coverage and long-term benefits from your plan.

Factors to consider while buying health insurance for high blood pressure

Assess your needs: Understand your specific medical needs, such as frequency of doctor consultations, current condition, medication cost and any potential complications caused by high blood pressure.

Research and compare: Review various plans from different insurance companies offering coverage for chronic illnesses like hypertension and compare them based on cost, benefits, claim settlement ratio, deductibles, waiting period, list of network hospitals, reputation of the insurance companies, inclusions and exclusions, etc., and choose the plan that offers comprehensive coverage.

waiting period: There is a waiting period of up to 3 years for pre-existing illnesses like high blood pressure, and this may vary between insurance companies. Choose a policy that has a shorter waiting period. Some insurance providers offer to waive the waiting period but may charge a higher premium.

Disease-specific plans: There are special plans like diabetes health insurance that are designed for people suffering from high blood pressure or diabetes and related ailments like heart disease, stroke, and kidney ailments. Under this plan, any illness or complications arising out of high blood pressure or diabetes are covered right from day one; there is no waiting period.

Provide complete details: When buying health insurance for high blood pressure, make sure you provide accurate information about your medical condition, treatment history, and medications. This will help avoid any complications at the time of claim settlement. If the insurer finds out that you have not disclosed your high blood pressure or any other habit like smoking, your policy may also be cancelled.

How can you control high blood pressure?

●Follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean meats. Avoid red meat.

●Increase dietary intake of potassium-rich foods such as oranges, bananas, sweet potatoes and spinach.

●Avoid oily and processed foods.

●Limit salt intake. Ask your doctor how much salt a person with high blood pressure should eat each day.

●Reduce smoking and alcohol consumption.

●Practice relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga and pranayama to reduce stress.

●Exercise regularly, whether it is walking, cycling, jogging, swimming or working out at the gym for 30-45 minutes at least 5 days a week.

●Try to get 6-8 hours of sleep; stay away from gadgets at least an hour before going to bed.

●If you have been given any medicine, take it regularly.

In addition to the above tips, you should monitor your blood pressure at home and get regular checkups done to reduce the risk of complications.