Lifestyle Diseases and buying Term Insurance

We know that in the changing landscape of urban lives today, people are increasingly adopting new, unhealthy habits. Technology and processed foods are making our lives more and more convenient each day. Which means that people in metro cities are less likely to include physical activity in their schedule or nutritious elements in their diet. However, this has made us prone to a certain form of diseases that were unheard of in previous generations.

These types of diseases are known as lifestyle diseases. They come under the category of non-communicable diseases (NCD), which means that they cannot spread from one person to another. Unlike previously known illnesses that were caused due to factors out of our control, lifestyle diseases are caused solely because of unhealthy lifestyle choices. They are also less preventable.

Out of these lifestyle diseases, the most fatal are cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, respiratory disorders as well as various types of cancers. Apart from these, there are a variety of lifestyle diseases such as stroke, obesity, high blood pressure, nephritis (which is related to kidneys) and cirrhosis (which is related to the liver). In most cases, these diseases are interconnected and one can develop as a result of the other.

These lifestyle diseases are becoming more prevalent and deadly day by day. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), lifestyle diseases are responsible for as many as 61% of all deaths in India. And from the looks of it, the number only seems to be on the rise.

Considering how commonplace these lifestyle diseases have become, it might not be surprising for you or someone in your family to be unfortunately afflicted by one. Understandably, this must raise several questions about your and your family’s future and well-being.

It also means that if you were planning on buying term insurance anytime soon, you might think that your lifestyle disease could make your plan much more complicated.

However, that may not be the case at all.

On the advice of his close friends, Vijay had been planning to invest his money in a trusted term insurance. But before he could do this, a medical check-up diagnosed him with Type 2 diabetes. He was extremely disheartened, not only by the diagnosis but by the regret that he hadn’t availed term insurance years ago.

Now, it must be too late. He would be turned down by insurance providers or have to pay a much larger premium than he could afford. However, when his friend found out about his diagnosis, he immediately recommended his own insurance provider. Vijay was relieved to find that as long as he could keep his blood sugar levels under control, he would have no issues getting a term insurance from the provider.

It is, of course, preferable to invest in a term insurance when one is in a healthy physical condition. But even if you are suffering from one of the previously mentioned lifestyle diseases, you can certainly be eligible to purchase a term life insurance.

Overall, there are some general factors that you must keep in mind while looking for a term insurance if you have a lifestyle disease:

  • 1. Make sure to do a thorough research of potential insurers. Different insurers have different underwriting policies, standards and conditions to meet. So, make sure to find an insurance company that can understand the specifics of your health situation better than others and have provisions in place for it.

  • 2. Your eligibility also differs on the type and severity of your condition. People are more likely to be afflicted by the most commonly found lifestyle diseases, which can be managed by maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle and proper medication. There are others that require more extensive treatments and can even worsen by a person’s lifestyle habits like smoking and drinking. Factors such as these can also determine your term insurance eligibility.

  • 3. Insurance providers often also have to consider several factors such as your age, previous health records, medical history and lifestyle choices. All of these are factored into the insurance company’s criteria for eligibility. These also help them calculate the rate of premium for each case, whether that individual has a lifestyle disease or not. The process will be similarly applied in your case. If you maintain a healthy lifestyle that helps you manage your lifestyle disease on a regular basis, you can certainly expect a favourable outcome. All in all, if you or someone you know is looking to buy term insurance, but are hesitant because of your lifestyle disease, don’t let it stand in your way. As long as you are taking active steps to control your health condition and following regular medical advice, you too can be eligible to avail term insurance to protect your family’s future. Future Generali Flexi Online Term Plan is one such plan that covers you till the age of 75 starting only @16₹ per day.