Here's Why you Need to Buy Health Insurance with High-Risk Coverage

The above plans and premiums are for AED 1,000,000 Sum insured for 1 Adult of 30 Years for Dubai city.

The modern-lifestyle coupled with stress and various other factors has led to a substantial rise in the number of lifestyle disorders. These ailments are not restricted to a particular age bracket and affect all age groups. As illnesses and ailments, be it lifestyle-related or any other type always come unannounced hence the only way out is to stay prepared.

The most efficient and safest way to counter such unexpected emergencies is to purchase suitable health insurance in Dubai. With a proper health insurance plan in place, one does not need to worry about managing financial expenses when your loved ones need medical assistance. However, an important point to be kept into consideration here is that health insurance needs are specific and usually vary from individual to individual based on a plethora of factors.

Typically, people that fall in the age bracket of 60 or above are more susceptible and vulnerable to ailments and hence, more likely to visit a doctor. Similarly, women in their reproductively active phase are more vulnerable to medical complexities and might require medical assistance more frequently when compared to men of the same ages.

Considering the fact that some individuals are at a higher risk than other individuals, this is where high-risk coverage comes into the picture. In this thread, we will be decoding why some individuals need to buy health insurance with high-risk coverage.

Are You a Smoker? Review your Coverage

Most of us are well aware of the fact that smoking is injurious to health and in many cases leads to heart and pulmonary disorders. As per the latest statistics, there are approximately 1 billion smokers on earth. If you are a smoker you fall into that bracket of high risk and you should definitely opt for high-risk coverage so as to safeguard yourself against smoking-related health issues.

Md. Faiz Alam, a 36-year-old business owner from Dubai who was a chain smoker was completely unaware of the fact that smoking plays a key role in raising the prices of insurance products. In order to provide financial cushioning for himself and his loved ones, he decides to get a health insurance policy in Dubai.

Faiz visits a popular online web-aggregator that allows users to compare and buy the best insurance products in the UAE. He then fills in his details to get a quote and observes that if he chooses a non-smoker option the premium is reduced. On the other hand, if he chooses the option a smoker the quote displays a higher premium.

This disparity in the health insurance premium is mainly due to the fact that smokers are counted in the high risk-profile and hence need to pay a higher premium than smokers. In order to save some money on the health insurance premium, Faiz chooses the non-smoker option and skips the medical examination. After paying the premium for 6 years Faiz is diagnosed with COPD caused due to smoking. While he submits his claim to the insurance company for reimbursement his file is rechecked and his claim is rejected.

Moreover, his health insurance plan is canceled which caused a lot of inconvenience for him and his family members. Health insurance providers have quite stringent terms and conditions when it comes to claiming settlement so as to filter fraudulent claims. In order to actually protect yourself and loved ones against illnesses, it is vital, to be honest with the insurance provider. You might end up paying a bit more but it will assure that your loved ones receive the sum assured/ reimbursement of treatment when they need it the most.

Health Issues? Reanalyze your Health Insurance

Similar to most of us, 51-year-old, India based Physics teacher Rashid Khan didn’t consider getting best health insurance in Dubai as he thought he was in good health. Later in 2019, Rashid was diagnosed with Diabetes and hypertension.

The thumb rule that is valid in the case of most of the insurance products is that the earlier you purchase a product the lesser you end up paying. However, Rashid choices were restricted and expensive as most of the health insurance providers in Dubai had either denied offering him coverage or were charging extremely high premiums due to his age and recent medical diagnosis.

Finally, Rashid decided to go for a Health plan that would cover him after a waiting period of 2-3 years from the date of purchase. While consulting the insurance agent he enquired about various available options and came to the conclusion that he should purchase an alternative plan with critical illness coverage. This plan would cover him right from the date of purchase and would protect his savings in case his medical conditions led to any issues.

Rashid’s case was an exception and therefore he was lucky enough to get himself a health-insurance in Dubai at the age of 51 with hypertension and diabetes. Since these diseases fall in the category of high-risk disorders insurers usually do not provide coverage to patients. The only way out in such a scenario is to opt for tailored plans that are designed especially for patients with cardiac ailments/diabetes.

Choose the Right Top-ups

When we hear of top-ups or add-on riders with health insurance Dubai the first thought that crosses our mind is that I have the plan isn’t this just an additional expense? However, the reality is quite different from it.

When we talk about top-ups we are not always talking about the traditional riders. The top-up rider is quite different from conventional riders and is useful for people that an individual health insurance Dubai.

Similar to other add-on riders, the top-up rider enhances the value and functionality of the basic plan by covering additional expenses after the threshold of the basic plan is exhausted. The best part about the riders is that they are less expensive than new health insurance plans yet enhances the protection quotient of the plan.

Some of the insurance providers offer coverage for dependents under a floater plan, which is usually less expensive than a tailored senior citizen plan. In a floater plan, all members are covered equally under the same amount of coverage. The ideal strategy to opt for family floater plans is to add your parents as early as possible. This is mainly due to the fact with increasing age it is not recommended to share your coverage with other members as it not only increases the risk on your shoulders but also on the shoulders of the dependents.

By choosing the right strategy over the basic plan you can a lot of money along with being protected against uncertainties. Technically, you should keep the base coverage of your health insurance plan in Dubai low, and the top should be kept higher than the base value of the plan. For instance, you should choose a health insurance Dubai with the coverage of AED 100000 whereas the top-up over the basic plan should be kept higher i.e. AED 200000-300000.

Add-ons: The Right Choice to Make

Ideally, all of us should try to get a health insurance plan as early as possible to save money on the premium and protect ourselves and loved ones against phases of emergencies and financial stability.

Momina, a 29-year-old marketing professional working for one of the reputed MNCs in Dubai realized that her health insurance that provides coverage of AED 100000 is insufficient to cater to her and her family’s needs. Momina’s father had recently undergone treatment for sclerosis which is when she realized she needs to enhance her coverage.

An important point to be kept into consideration while dealing with health insurance plans is that renewing the existing policy with higher coverage is difficult if you cross the age of 40 years. Usually, insurance companies deny the renewal with higher coverage, even if they agree it would require a strenuous medical examination followed by various types of pathological tests to give a clear idea about your medical condition.

In order to counter the issue, Momina decided to enhance the coverage of her plan with an amount equivalent to AED 500000. She opted for a top-up for her parents and kept the deductible limit of the plan equivalent to AED 150000 so that when the value is exhausted the additional top-up cover can be used. However, Momina delayed the decision of expanding the coverage via top-ups, and by the time her father was diagnosed with kidney sclerosis which is why she had to pay a higher premium.

In a Nutshell

With changing lifestyles and modern-day habits ailments and health issues are becoming more and more prevalent. Food habits coupled with extremely high levels of pollution act as catalysts to the problem. In order to be well-prepared, the first step is to get the right health insurance Dubai which will provide a blanket of protection to you and your loved ones when you need it the most.

Insurance seekers should try and cut down their nicotine and alcohol intake along with regular exercise so as to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Always remember, with good health you can live your life to fullest and achieve your dreams.