<div><em>Make sure the free health check-up doesn’t get lapsed in your health insurance policy. <strong>Sunil Dhawan</strong> writes</em></div><div> </div><div>With increasingly hectic lifestyle, the constant pressure of work is taking its toll on the healths of all professionals including the salaried-class as well as business people.</div><div><br>The good thing is many of us have taken all this in our strides. With hard work, the need and the desire to be fit and healthy too is catching up. Wellness programmes and early morning gym and yoga sessions are becoming more common. But, along with a healthy routine, a careful examination of one’s body is equally important. As is commonly said, prevention is always better than cure and a regular health check-up has its own advantages. The right time to go for a health check-up is when there is no visible sign of ailments. A close examination could reveal something that can become malignant in future. Many illnesses could be cured before they become serious. </div><div> </div><div>Most decent hospitals in your neighborhood would have different packages for health check-ups. These would, however, be at a cost. Health check-ups can be free of cost if you already hold a health insurance policy from a general or standalone health insurer. Almost all insurers offer free health check-up to policyholders after 2 or in some cases, after 4 years. </div><div> </div><div>To be eligible for free checkups, a block of four years has to be claim-free. Further, the benefit here too is capped. Even if it’s a family floater plan, one gets health checkup up to 1 per cent of the sum insured. In case, the package cost of hospital is more, you may have to pay the difference. In case of a family floater, only one member can claim it. Even if one member has claimed on a FF plan, the benefit becomes invalid. </div><div> </div><div>The process differs across insurers. Some have empanelled hospitals where the policyholder can undergo the check-ups while with some, one may undergo tests in any hospital which offers preventive health check-up packages. </div><div> </div><div>If the hospital is not on the empaneled list, the cost has to be initially borne by the policyholder and subsequently will be reimbursed by the insurer. Not all insurers may allow check-ups at non- empaneled hospitals, so confirm beforehand. Health check up is a renewal incentive and to this benefit, the member may have to go to the insurer’s network hospital only. So, get a fix on the process by calling up your insurer before you undergo these tests. </div><div> </div><div>If you haven’t reached the block-year condition or already made a claim on your health policy, there’s another help at hand. Under section 80D, maximum deduction allowed is Rs 25,000 a year, while it’s Rs 30,000 for seniors. Within this limit, preventive check-ups get a benefit of up to Rs 5,000. The benefit amount is within Rs 25,000 or Rs 30,000 and not in addition to it.</div><div> </div><div>Considering so many options, the reason to not go for a health check-up shouldn’t be there. Its time you get a preventive checkup done for early signs that your body might be sending you.</div><div> </div>
