{"id":1154,"date":"2018-07-09T12:20:57","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T04:20:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/?p=1154"},"modified":"2023-08-04T17:10:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T09:10:34","slug":"ncds-health-insurance-cost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/ncds-health-insurance-cost\/","title":{"rendered":"Impact of non-communicable diseases on health insurance costs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-communicable, or chronic diseases (NCDs) were uncommon in the 19th century and became leading causes of death in the 20th century. Data from the World Health Organization shows that non-communicable diseases are responsible for 63% of all deaths worldwide in 2016. That\u2019s 36 million people. In Singapore, 80% of all diseases reported were non-communicable. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The costs of treating chronic diseases are high, as they need to be treated continuously for a long period of time. To be sure, health insurance cost depends on many factors, and among them are whether you engage in risky behaviors that can lead to non-communicable diseases, or if you are already suffering from one or more chronic illnesses.<\/span><\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--><\/style>\n<p><span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:573,&quot;3&quot;:[null,0],&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:[null,2,0]},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;6&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:[null,2,0]},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;7&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:[null,2,0]},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;8&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:[null,2,0]},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;12&quot;:0}\"><div class='code-block code-block-5' style='margin: 8px 0; clear: both;'>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/compare-quotes\/step-one\/?campSource=PPSG-Blog&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=cta_banner&utm_campaign=banner&utm_content=quote?campSource=PPSG-Blog&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=content_banner&utm_campaign=banner&utm_content=general\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-778\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Blog-Banner_Singapore_1.jpg\" width=\"1138\" height=\"493\" \/><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are non-communicable diseases (NCDs)? <\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-communicable diseases &#8211; also known as chronic diseases &#8211; are those that derive from a combination of unhealthy lifestyle, obesity, and other environmental and genetic factors. They tend to be of long duration, need to be treated continuously, and often develop imperceptibly. Some of the most common chronic diseases are: <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Different kinds of <\/span><b>cancers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are associated with different causes, but we know for sure that smoking tobacco, excessive drinking, poor diet, and lack of exercise are also among factors that cause cancerous cells to form. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>High blood pressure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and<\/span><b> cardiovascular diseases<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are caused by a high-fat diet, lack of physical activity, high levels of stress, excessive alcohol consumption, and\/or family genetics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Diabetes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is caused by a diet high in sugar, excess weight, and physical inactivity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two main causes of chronic <\/span><b>kidney disease<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are diabetes and high blood pressure mentioned above.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is mainly caused by smoking tobacco, but can also be caused by breathing in air high in particulate matter. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other chronic diseases include for example <\/span><b>Alzheimer disease, arthritis, obesity, and asthma,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but also <\/span><b>mental health-related diseases,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> such as depression. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not uncommon for people to have more than one chronic diseases at once, as in many cases, one of the diseases results from having another. <\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prevention rather than treatment \u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The great news is that NCDs are largely preventable. Many of the chronic conditions can be prevented by lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, replacing unhealthy foods with a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and controlling alcohol consumption. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In many cases, such as with diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, part of the treatment is a diet change. A healthy diet is considered to have a positive impact on your general health and may reduce the risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke. Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may also protect against certain types of cancers. The most recent food pyramid showcases a small shift in the recommended food types meant to be taken in; promoting fruits and vegetables as the group people should be consuming most often, and warning people away from consumption of processed meats more than once a week.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regular exercise is proven to help you manage your weight and to have stronger bones, muscles, and joints, which can lower the risk of osteoporosis. Other benefits include reducing the risk of developing heart diseases and lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a number of studies showing the negative effects of tobacco and alcohol on our body. While smoking cigarettes should be totally eliminated for a healthy lifestyle, occasional alcohol consumption within certain limits should not be considered too harmful to our bodies. <\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy at work \u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees are the most valuable asset of every company, but there\u2019s only as much an employer can do to keep its employees healthy. There are ways employers can promote a healthier lifestyle at work &#8211; for example by sponsoring or subsidizing a gym membership, providing fresh fruits at work, or organizing company sports challenges. Employers can also organize informative meetings or prepare special health information bulletins, and focus on educating their employees about the benefits of adopting a healthy lifestyle, and what a healthy lifestyle is really is. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As an employee, you should know what kind of health insurance benefits you can use. Check your plan documentation and see if you can do a yearly health check-up, or if your company health plan provides mental health benefits. These are important points to know about your employee benefits.\u00a0While health insurance cost may lie on the employer side, healthy lifestyle choices depend on you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to minimize your health insurance cost? <\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why focus on healthy living? Prevention is cheaper than hospitalization, and many insurers won\u2019t cover the costs of treatment for chronic diseases. What\u2019s more, the term pre-existing conditions usually refer precisely to non-communicable diseases and is the basis for excluding existing NCDs from insurance coverage. Insurers may offer an option to cover pre-existing conditions in some capacity, but this usually comes with a loading, which means your premiums will be considerably higher.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That&#8217;s because it&#8217;s expensive for an insurer to pay for the treatment costs of any of the major chronic diseases, as they usually require long-term therapies or expensive surgeries. When comparing plans or trying to renew an existing plan, your insurance provider will look at your current health situation and will calculate plan premiums based upon it. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Health insurance brokers, such as the insurance advisors from Pacific Prime Singapore, work with a number of insurers and can determine the best option for you while taking into consideration health insurance costs and your budget. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a free comparison of the plans that provide the best coverage for NCDs today, as well as a free price quote!<\/span><\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--><\/style>\n<p><span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:573,&quot;3&quot;:[null,0],&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:[null,2,0]},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;6&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:[null,2,0]},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;7&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:[null,2,0]},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;8&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:[null,2,0]},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;12&quot;:0}\"><div class='code-block code-block-6' style='margin: 8px 0; clear: both;'>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/compare-quotes\/step-one\/?campSource=PPSG-Blog&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=cta_banner&utm_campaign=banner&utm_content=quote\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-781\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/PPSG_Gen_02.jpg\" alt=\"Get an Insurance quote banner\" width=\"1138\" height=\"493\" \/><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Non-communicable, or chronic diseases (NCDs) were uncommon in the 19th century and became leading causes of death in the 20th century. Data from the World Health Organization shows that non-communicable diseases are responsible for 63% of all deaths worldwide in 2016. That\u2019s 36 million people. In Singapore, 80% of all diseases reported were non-communicable. The &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":1157,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[770,936,768,939,940,532,938,937],"class_list":["post-1154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-ban_gen","tag-chronic-disease","tag-cta_gen","tag-diabetes","tag-diet","tag-health-insurance-cost","tag-healthy-lifestyle","tag-non-communicable-diseases"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Impact of non-communicable diseases on the health insurance cost<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Your health insurance cost is strongly linked to your lifestyle choices. Which everyday choices can reduce your premiums and improve your health?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/ncds-health-insurance-cost\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Impact of non-communicable diseases on the health insurance cost\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Your health insurance cost is strongly linked to your lifestyle choices. 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She writes and edits a diverse variety of online and offline copy, including sales and marketing materials ranging from articles and advertising copy to reports, guides, RFPs, and more. Jantra curates and reports on the results of Pacific Prime\u2019s monthly newsletters, as well as manages Pacific Prime\u2019s Deputy Global CEO\u2019s LinkedIn posts. Complemented by her background in business writing, Jantra\u2019s passion for health, insurance, and employee benefits helps her create engaging content - no matter how complex the subject is. Growing up as a third-culture kid has given her a multicultural perspective that helps her relate to expats and their families while 8 years of working remotely have given her unique insight into hybrid work arrangements and enthusiasm for employee benefits.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jantrajacobs\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/author\/jantra\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1154"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1154"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1185,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1154\/revisions\/1185"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}