Preventive Health check-up – I: Is the Rs5,000 tax deduction enough?

It is a debatable topic whether a healthy person really needs a preventive health check-up. If you want to avail of a preventive health check-up, the government is giving you an incentive of tax deductions up to Rs5000. Is the amount fair?

Got your preventive health check-up done? If you are in the highest tax bracket and spend Rs5000 on these tests, you will effectively be spending only Rs3,500 due to tax savings. Just ensure that you are not crossing the Section 80D limit of Rs15,000. So, if your health insurance premium is less than Rs10,000, you can get full benefit with the Rs5,000 limit for a preventive health program (PHP). The question is whether you really need it? If so, is Rs5,000 enough for a preventive health check-up?

PHP is often hard-sold to people. The fact that the finance ministry has made PHP eligible for tax savings has spelt happy days for medical marketers in a segment that is already galloping at 13% every year. People buy PHP as insurance. If they are found to be healthy, then the money 'wasted' on PHP is good news. Is it correct? According to Prof Dr BM Hegde, cardiologist and former vice chancellor of Manipal University, "If there is no symptom, never ever see a doctor. PHP is very dangerous. When there are symptoms (can even include headache), then see a doctor. Prevention in true sense is about promoting your health, improving your immune system."

PHP is an emotional-sell that began in the West and is now spreading like wildfire among India's newly affluent with high-paying corporate jobs. The argument that something may be wrong inside your body which you may not know, makes PHP an easy sell. Dr Hegde, says, "Going for screening when one is healthy could be very, very dangerous. Medicine is not a hard science. It is a statistical science where averages are equated with normality. We have no definition of 'normal' in medical science. When average is normal, false positives and false negatives are 50%. Now imagine your position when you go for a heart check-up. You will certainly end up on the angiogram table if not on the bypass table!"

Companies involved in PHP business obviously communicate a different message Amol Naikwadi, joint managing director, Indus Health Plus, says, "Considering the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and deaths caused by NCDs, the government must give greater incentive to people to go for preventive screening. We wish to have a separate category (not club it under Sec 80D limit) for preventive health check-ups so that people get a precise and clear incentive to go for a preventive health check-up."

However, there is concurrence of view from Hinduja Hospital. According to Deepak Samant, director finance, PDHinduja National Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Mumbai, "At present the limit of Rs5,000 for PHP is clubbed within the limit of Rs15,000 applicable under Sec 80D. The necessity of Mediclaim and PHP is increasing day by day. It is a well-known fact that the most effective remedy on ever swelling healthcare spends is to encourage preventive healthcare. Thus the deduction for PHP (must) be in addition to the limit of Rs15,000 under Sec 80D."

Every doctor will have a different opinion about when to start PHPs-it can range from age 30 years to never. But ideally, it is best to listen to your body for signals. Ignorance is not bliss in matters of health and there is a fine line between bravado and stupidity; it is important to know the difference.

According to Dr Sadanand Nadkarni, former dean of LTM Medical College, Mumbai, "Regular check-up was needed for those over 60. Today, annual check-ups after 65 can be physical check-up and a few simple tests. They are: blood CBC, blood sugar, serum creatinine (kidney), serum protein and bilirubin (liver), X-ray of chest (lung) ECG, stress test (heart) and vision."

If you really need to do only basic tests then the Rs5,000 tax deduction may be enough. But, does the PHP industry think the same? The argument is that Rs5,000 tax deduction for the whole family is not enough. We will find it out in the second part of the article where we will give the rates of some PHPs available in the market. Why are PHPs including high-tech tests like whole body CT scan?

Comments
deepak
1 decade ago
According to Prof Dr BM Hegde, cardiologist and former vice chancellor of Manipal University. "Going for screening when one is healthy could be very, very dangerous"

Is the above statement true. Can anybody throw light on this
deepak
1 decade ago
According to Prof Dr BM Hegde, cardiologist and former vice chancellor of Manipal University, "Going for screening when one is healthy could be very, very dangerous".

Can anybody answer to my above question.

regards
deepak
email : [email protected]
nagesh kini
1 decade ago
Can any hospital come out with the names of each essential/basic test and cost thereof for "a complete preventive check up" ?
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