Health insurance premium varies from one person to another. According to tax and investment experts, there are various factors involved in it and Body Mass Index (BMI) is one of them. Experts are of the opinion that in India, ideal BMI is 18.5 to 24.9. If a person has BMI more than 25 then he or she is prone to pay more in their health insurance premium. So, it's high time for an earning individual to become fit and thereby slash premium to the lowest possible.

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Speaking on how BMI affects health insurance premium in India, Pankaj Mathpal, Managing Director, Optima Money Managers said, "In India, the ideal BMI range is 18.5 to 24.9. If BMI is in this range, then premium will be the lowest. But, if the BMI is more than 25, then a higher premium has to be paid." 

Mathpal said that premium will become highest when the BMI goes past 30. He said that BMI is a measure of body mass and height. It gives the insurer an idea about a person's health. The results of BMI measurement gives a fair idea whether an individual is underweight, has healthy weight, excess weight, or is obese.

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On why higher insurance premium is charged for people having higher BMI, Jitendra Solanki said, "BMI is measured because people with a higher rate are more prone to ailments like heart disease, diabetes, joint problems, to name a few. This is why they may need specialised treatment in the future for normal procedures like pregnancy, thereby making even simple procedures tedious. Therefore, health insurance premiums are high for people with a higher Body Mass Index. These are the 11 factors you should consider when calculating health insurance premiums." 

Solanki said that a person having BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 is considered physically fit while 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. But, BMI over 30 is considered obese.