Indeed if we all knew the exact date we would fall sick and the exact diagnosis we would be given, we would probably start doing everything we could to prevent us from falling sick. We would probably start exercising daily, eat a more balanced diet and cut out all the unhealthy vices in our lives (smoking and drinking).
As it stands we do not have a crystal ball and, honestly, even healthy people can suddenly fall sick due to hereditary diseases or exposure to harmful substances in the environment.
At what point then do you take out a health insurance?
Firstly, you need to understand the use of a health insurance. Health insurance helps you to cover the cost of medical, obstetric care and surgical expenses for inpatient treatment. The area of coverage depends on the package you select, but the different zones include Seychelles, Mauritius, India, and South Africa, as well as a worldwide coverage (excluding USA and Canada).
Health insurance will cover the cost of your treatment when you are sick, so the best time to take out a health insurance is before you fall sick. Why? For starters, the coverage is more likely to be cheaper if you are less at risk. Secondly, your current illness will likely not be covered by an insurance policy as you did not have a policy in place when you fell sick. For example, your policy would most likely cover illnesses you will attain from the day the policy became effective and will not cover illnesses you already have.
Why take out a health insurance:
Because you cannot predict when you would fall sick nor what you would be diagnosed with, there are certain risks which can be considered to help you make up your mind:
- Age: Some health risks increase with age such as heart disease.
- Environment: Where you live and what surrounds you are important factors to your health status such as lung cancer.
- Community: Some illnesses are more prevalent in your community as a result of shared or similar lifestyles such as diabetes.
- Hereditary: A number of illnesses are passed down through genetic inheritance such as breast cancer.
- Time: Time is a crucial factor when fighting a serious illness which is why delaying treatment as a result of lack of funds, evaluation or waiting periods can be terminal for a patient.
For more information on health insurance, call us on 429 5000 or send an email to info@sacos.sc
