One of the signs we are getting old is when more people who are close to us i.e. family and friends start to get sick. What’s worrying is the rate at which people close to us have discovered health conditions that range from moderate to critical illness. Diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and the most feared of all – cancer.
If you have started worrying about your own and your family’s health, you are not alone. 89% of Filipinos now place high importance to being healthy, 18% up from the previous year. Yes we all want to be healthy and avoid getting sick, mahal magkasakit kaya bawal magkasakit! However, only 58% of us exercise regularly. 46% of us still do not get enough sleep and 41% of eat unhealthy.
There are many reasons why many of us cannot afford to be healthy – time, money, and resources are some. I will not lie, getting fit takes a lot of discipline and sacrifice. If I do not work from home and many of Filipinos don’t, I will also find it extremely difficult to hit the gym thrice a week and prepare healthy meals.
While good diet and exercise will greatly improve our health and well-being, it does not guarantee that healthy people will not get ill.
Be Prepared and Protected with Critical Illness Insurance
Many of us have lost sleep, created different scenarios in our heads, and worry about being diagnosed with a serious health condition. In fact, I believe it is one of the reasons why many of us are afraid to undergo an annual check-up with our doctors.
What will I do if I find out I am sick? What about my family? Where will I get money for treatment? The last question being the hardest to answer for many of us. There is one clear solution to this and that is getting a health insurance.
How many people do you know who have turned to loans, donations, etc. when they or their loved ones got seriously ill? In a very challenging time of sickness, it takes a lot of energy, effort, courage, and gut to pool money to pay for hospital bills. Having health insurance takes off the burden from your family and friends to source money to fund your treatment.
Health insurance protects and provides you with funds upon diagnosis. Some products like the new Sun Fit & Well offers comprehensive coverage from prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Depending on your policy, you may even receive income protection i.e. the insurance company will replace your income when you cannot work because of your illness, and daily hospital allowance on top of providing you with a lump sum amount to fund your hospital expenses.
It only takes P1,500 a month
Did you know? For just about P1,500 a month you can have insurance protection from over 100 critical conditions across minor and major stages. If only many of us started to talk more about critical illness insurance then many of us would already have protection and worry less about getting sick. Many of us will not say “bahala na” and feel helpless when we or our loved ones get diagnosed.
I actually talked to a Sun Life financial advisor and expressed my worries about the topic of health. It was then he told me about the new Sun Fit & Well product. I am so thankful to know how affordable it is especially for a family like us.
It was very easy for me to convince my husband to get one for himself. He says, “I agreed to purchase a critical illness insurance because I need medical and health support just in case I acquire a serious illness in the future. Also, this will motivate me to be more fit and healthy.”
Do not be fooled by the wine, we were at an event when we asked our Sun Life Advisor to join us – just to save time and money 🙂
As a wife, this was a proud moment for me and I even took a photo of my husband and my financial advisor while they were filling up the Sun Fit & Well application form. Having peace of mind is priceless and now whatever happens, we have a level of protection because we made the right decision. We have a son and I have heard many stories of how children suffer emotionally and financially because of parents getting sick. Kung kaya namin, mas kaya niyo rin!
Our perception of insurance being for the rich only must really change. It is the fact that we might not afford medical expenses that we get protected by insurance products like this. Imagine, if you paid the quarterly fee of about P5,000-P6,000 and you get diagnosed with one of the critical illnesses – you will receive P400,000 from Sun Life. This is just a simple illustration but depending on your health and preference, premiums and benefits can vary.
The best time to be insured is now
Because my husband is 39 years old, his premiums were higher but still affordable at about P1,500 a month. However, he is no longer qualified to benefit from daily hospital allowance unless we get the plan with a higher premium.
If we were a year late and he hit 40, my husband won’t be qualified to get this valuable health insurance. So the best time to be insured was yesterday but in case you are late – act fast before your time is up.
Sun Fit & Well Benefits
On top of insurance protection, the policy holder is also entitled to wellness programs from Sun Life like community workouts, weekly fitness classes, and discounts to health establishments.
I took this photo when our Sun Life Financial Advisor invited me to check out one of the free Go Well programs
This is good news if you are like many of us who cannot afford to enroll in fancy gym classes and fitness programs. Instead of paying for monthly gym membership fees, putting your money in health insurance products like Sun Fit & Well is a bright idea.
At the end of the day, we do not want anyone of us to get sick but when we do – being prepared allows us to focus on getting well and getting back on our feet versus worrying about our health expenses on top of our health conditions.
Stay healthy and bright mommies!
Mommy Lace is a blogger from the Philippines. She started this blog to share information on pregnancy, breastfeeding, childcare, family, and health.
