How to Control your Diabetes: Tips from SANA.Insure

So, here’s the good news: Type II diabetes can be controlled and managed to a great extent, before it reaches a stage where allopathic medication becomes unavoidable. To delay or prevent the onset of this chronic metabolic condition, one needs to alter one's lifestyle by making some dietary modifications and staying physically active.

Earlier, Type II diabetes was known as "adult-onset" diabetes as it was observed only in the elderly. However, it has shown an increasing prevalence in children and young adults as well in recent times. This increase might be due to the higher incidence of poor lifestyle habits that drive obesity. It includes leading an inactive lifestyle, improper dietary habits, extended working hours, lack of sleep and excessive stress.

How do I Control My Diabetes?

• Indulging in regular physical activity or exercise helps you get to your ideal weight and increase insulin sensitivity.
  Maintaining a healthy weight helps maintain normal blood sugar levels and decreases the risk of developing hyperglycemia or diabetes.
• Getting sufficient high-quality sleep helps regulate blood sugar levels and promotes healthy weight
• Monitoring blood sugar levels helps you determine the impact of food and certain medications, and make adjustments accordingly
• Managing stress by practising techniques like yoga or meditation helps lower blood glucose levels and correct insulin secretion problems.
• Consuming a well-balanced and healthy diet high in fibre and low in carbs can help control blood sugar levels.
• Avoiding sugary foods and sweetened beverages and consuming foods with a low glycaemic index prevents blood glucose level fluctuations.
• Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated helps kidneys flush out excess sugar from the body.
• Several home remedies like bitter gourd juice, gooseberry (amla) juice, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon, aloe vera juice, etc. have sometimes shown positive results in controlling blood glucose levels (on doctor’s advice)
• Consulting a Medical Practitioner in cases where medication is required.

If diabetes is left unchecked, it can lead to more grave issues in the long run. Long-term effects of diabetes include increased risk of kidney disease, heart attack, vision loss and strokes. This not only impacts an individual's quality of life but also brings a lot of financial hardships. Costs involved in medications, frequent doctor visits, sugar monitoring tests, hospitalization due to long-term treatment and surgery make diabetes management an expensive ordeal.

Investing in a Health Insurance policy will ensure that the individual gets the best treatment without having to worry about treatment costs. Individuals can apply for a Diabetes-oriented Health Insurance Policy to avail the benefits of health insurance with pre-existing Diabetes.

Key Features to pay attention to when buying Health Insurance
To select the best health insurance policy that is inclusive of conditions such as diabetes, the policy seeker should check some key features of the policy such as:

1. Diabetes as a Pre-Existing Disease: Conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol are tagged by insurance companies as PED or Pre-existing Disease. As such, people exhibiting such conditions could be asked to undergo a medical screening or test by the insurance company to assess the magnitude of the health concerns.
2. Premium Loading: In cases of high-risk PED like diabetes, the propensity to raise claims is always on the higher side. Due to this, the policyholder may have to pay a higher premium than a healthy person.
3. Waiting Period: It is the time required by the policy for certain medical claims to come into effect. The waiting period defined by most policies for pre-existing diseases (PED) like diabetes is up to two years on average, while others may suggest 4 years. This means that policyholders can submit claims for settlement only after serving the stipulated waiting periods. One should opt for plans offering minimal waiting time.
4. Add-on or Optional Cover: Investors can get additional benefits by buying a critical rider covering diabetes together with the basic health plan.
5. Sub-limits: Some health policies might mention an upper cap on the permitted expenses of some diseases and treatments. One should look for a plan with no or less sub-limits.
6. Co-payment: A clause wherein a specified percentage of the medical expenditure has to be made by the policyholder. One should avoid this clause, if possible.
7. Deductibles: A payment-related condition wherein the policyholder has to pay a certain initial amount of medical expenses. Claims above that initial amount up to the sum insured amount will be paid by the insurer.
8. Exclusions: It states the list of specific conditions and treatments not covered under the health insurance policy. The insurer would not be liable to pay for any claims related to these conditions and treatments. Long-term diabetes tends to adversely impact the functioning of organs like the kidneys, liver and heart over time. It would be wise to ensure that treatment for diabetes-triggered health issues are included in the policy.

SANA.Insure helps provide information on various health insurance plans that extend coverage for pre-existing diabetes. We analyse your profile and medical conditions in order to suggest a suitable option that adequately covers your health and medi-care requirements.

Please visit our health insurance portal SANA.insure for more information. You can also connect with a Health Insurance Expert at SANA.Insure over WhatsApp chat on 8278271818, or call us on 1800 202 8118.

Wish you a healthy and happy life!