#FitnessFirst February 19, 2025 Co-Authored and Verified by – Dr Ahamed Nabeel Specialist Medical Affairs How Annual Checkups Can Save You Money in the Long Run The Financial Benefits of Regular Health Screenings Many people avoid annual health checkups because they seem unnecessary when you feel fine. But skipping them can lead to expensive treatments later. Regular screenings help detect health problems early, reducing hospital bills and insurance costs. 1) Long-Term Financial Benefits Preventive health screenings and make for a practical solution to one of the biggest challenges in the medical industry: addressing illnesses before they progress into severe, complicated, and conditions.Non-communicable diseases like diabetes, coronary heart disease, and most of the cancers often develop without showing obvious symptoms until they reach advanced stages, at which point it is too late. And yet, many people fail to recognise the importance of prevention. The WHO reports that these diseases account for more than 70% of global deaths, yet they are manageable if detected early. Regular preventive health checkups play a critical role in identifying health risks at an early stage, significantly reducing long-term medical expenses.For example, screenings such as mammography for breast cancer and colposcopy for cervical cancer help with early detection, which can drastically lower treatment costs if detected early. 2) Lower Insurance Premiums Another financial benefit to prevention comes from your insurance premiums. Insurance companies assess risk profiles because people who go for regular preventive health checkups typically are considered low-risk. They’re rewarded with reduced premiums. 3)Tax Benefits Preventive healthcare is also backed by financial policies that reward proactive efforts. Under Section 80D of India’s Income Tax Act, expenses on preventive health checkup costs are eligible for tax deductions. This means that people get a dual advantage: safeguarding personal health while reducing taxable income. How Early Detection Prevents Costly Treatments Prevention can help with early detection – but why is early detection so important? By undergoing regular screenings like a yearly health checkup, you get a chance to identify health risks early and start the reversal procedure right away. From lesser pain to fewer medical costs, people who go for a preventive health screening stand to gain on all fronts. Let’s look at exactly how regular health checkups benefit you. 1) Chronic Disease Management Chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and congestive heart failure have unfortunately been found to progress silently in the early stages. With the help of preventive health screenings, such conditions can be detected early on.For example, detecting high blood sugar levels in preventive only requires changes to diet and mild medicines. Without those men’s preventive health checkups, people would be forced to bear the costs of treatments like dialysis when the condition ultimately worsens and leads to advanced kidney disease. 2) Avoiding Emergency Care The scariest part of advanced medical conditions is emergencies. Emergency care is not just stressful but it is also expensive. Many conditions that lead to hospital emergencies, such as heart attacks, could have been prevented through preventive checkups. How? A preventive health checkup will help you identify warning signs like increased cholesterol levels or positive calcium scoring indicating heart blockageThis greatly reduces the possibility of sudden medical emergencies that require expensive and possibly life-threatening surgeries. 3) Preventing Complications The most obvious reason educated people are studying preventive health checkup packages and going for annual checkups is to prevent complications. Unmanaged health conditions lead to severe complications like organ damage, which are not only expensive but also unbearably painful – all due to conditions that are completely avoidable. For example, if you catch the early signs of hypertension during a yearly checkup, you drastically reduce the chances of coronary heart disease, a complication that requires extensive treatments like angioplasty and bypass surgery. How to Choose the Best Screening Package for Your Budget 1) Identify Your Health Risks: Start with what matters most: your health. If you have a family history of diabetes, heart disease, or any other chronic conditions, choose a yearly health checkup that includes tests for these conditions. For example, a reliable men’s preventive health checkup is one that includes heart tests and prostate health screenings. As for a preventive checkup for females, a reliable screening should cover tests like mammograms or cervical cancer checks. 2) Understand What’s Included: Advanced preventative screening centres like Nura have curated the screening package now that covers the most common lifestyle diseases and cancer risks affecting people in India. 3) Long-Term Costs: For those trying to understand the importance of , you need to understand the difference between cost and worth. Start by factoring in the preventive health checkup cost vs the impact a yearly checkup can have on long-term costs like surgery and hospitalisation bills. That is where you understand that it is worth a lot more than the price you pay today. 4) Insurance and Tax Relief: Insurance companies like care because it has been proven to reduce major complications. Naturally, the companies reward such customers with lower premiums. Another upside to consider is tax relief: According to the Income Tax Act in India, taxpayers can claim up to ₹5,000 in tax deductions for preventive health checkups under Section 80D. This applies to both individual and family health checkups, including preventive health screenings. FAQs 1) Why is an annual health check-up important?An preventive health check-up is important because it helps identify possible health concerns early on, even before symptoms appear. Regular screenings can detect conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol imbalances, allowing for early intervention. 2) Why is it important to get regular yearly health check-ups?Getting regular preventive health check-ups helps monitor your overall health and track any changes over time. Regular check-ups can catch silent health problems such as heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes early, making them easier to manage. They also help assess risk factors for specific conditions based on your family’s medical history, and your age and lifestyle. 3) What is included in a preventive health check-up?A preventive health check-up typically includes a range of tests and assessments designed to detect possible health problems early. This includes tests for metabolic health (blood sugar, HbA1c), cardiac health (ECG, lipid profile), and organ function (liver and kidney panels). Gender-specific tests like mammography or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) assessments may also be included in preventive health checkup packages. 4) At what age is a full body checkup best?A full body check-up is beneficial at any age, but it becomes even more important as you grow older. Normally, professionals advise you to start regular full-body check-ups in your late 20s and early 30s, as this is when health risks start to show up. Risk factors for chronic illnesses increase with age, making early detection all the more important.