Father in the chamber: Why health insurance is critical

Sandeep Patel

Dads are our first superheroes. Smart, strong and able, they protect us from the sometimes big, scary world around us and cheer the loudest as our biggest fan. And though those moments are truly invaluable and one has to savor the love and protection.

Health is the most valuable asset one has. It is health that compliments every effort one makes for a healthy life for himself/herself and for the family. And mostly, it is the father who normally does it, not only for himself but his entire family.

It should go without saying that a father’s true worth is not measured in clean laundry or lawn clippings, but in the love and support that he shows us each day, silently along with loud cheering at our evening football game, late nights spent helping with science fair projects or an encouraging phone call on the first day of work.

Just as there is no substitute to hard work, there is no substitute to adequate healthcare. A health crisis can strike at any time and can set one back by a few lakh rupees. But from the viewpoint of a family, if a health crisis hits the father, all the members of the family are affected severely.

You know they need it

Middle aged (35-54 years) married men are typically in their highest earning years and half are fathers. Yet, this group spends 80 percent their earnings on large first time family purchases like a new house or a new car, as now, they realize that they the head & are responsible for a family. A health cover for themselves or their families is never the first priority at this point. While other expenses seem extremely important and with the current health scenario in the country, it is imperative at this point that a father secures his health expenses first before anything else. It is necessary to start early to reap the benefits.

A chamber is always not a good place

A father is always dedicated, working more than the normal to provide basic necessities to his pack. With the daily family responsibilities, along with increasing expectations there comes a time where a father requires some protection for himself. Late night shifts, work overload and office deadlines causes immense stress which leads to critical illness which gets neglected. The exposure to pollution results him being more prone to diseases. And its ill effects tend to decline his immunity power as well. Being a man of the house, he needs to fit in and play his role perfectly, for which he gives in anything and everything for his loved ones. So, at the end of the day, it’s important securing the life of the person busy securing his family life.

It is never just 'Him', it is always 'Us'

In several families, the father is the pillar due to which the family stays strong and standing together. Most families who already have a policy don’t have enough coverage.

Although our fathers work hard for a safe and secure future, they often ignore the one of the most common threat to themselves and us, eventually that can make a major dent on our success so far. This is perhaps the strongest in the case of the primary earners of the family since they shoulder the aims, ambitions and aspirations of their children. As mentioned before, a health crisis can hit an individual at any time.

Tell them it is not expensive

You may be surprised to know that health insurance is not that expensive compared to its necessity. A health cover needs changes as you enter different phases of your life.  Renewal of health coverage is important at major life events such as the birth of children, reaching certain age brackets and while entering a stressful job.

The writer is MD & CEO, Cigna TTK Health Insurance