Kidney-related Ailments see a 26% Surge in Claims for Millennials: SBI General Insurance

MUMBAI:
On the occasion of World Kidney Day, a claims data study by SBI General Insurance, one of the fastest growing general insurance companies in India, revealed that in the age group of 18 to 35 years, there is a 26% increase in claims for infectious and developmental complications of kidneys between FY 15-16 and FY 17-18. Interestingly, according to the data, claims in the age group of 65 years & above have declined by 24% through the three years, thus demonstrating the fact that millennials are no longer healthy by age.
The study also reveals that males have made higher number of claims for kidney-related ailments with 55% of claims made in FY17-18. While the claims by men are higher, claims by women are on a rise year- on-year as women went from a 39% contribution to claims of kidney-related ailments in FY 15-16 to 45% in FY 17-18. Given the lifestyle of most males today, increased sedentary routine and consumption of harmful substances like alcohol & tobacco have increased the risk of kidney-related ailments among them. As can be seen from the data, women are not far behind in this as they have made almost half the total claim amount for kidney-related ailments, thus highlighting that women too are gradually falling into a similar lifestyle.
Gender Distribution:
No of Claims
FY 2015-16 FY 2016-17 FY 2017-18*
Female 39% 43% 45%
Male 61% 57% 55%
Appended are a few interesting trends that emerged:
 5% of the total health insurance claims paid are for kidney-related claims.
 The claim amount for diabetes-related kidney ailments has increased from 1.4% to 4% of total claim amount paid from FY 15-16 to FY 17-18.
 Majority of the claims are paid from metropolitan cities while 32% are from non-metro cities. This could be due to the specialized treatment and dialysis facilities available in metropolitan cities.
 66% of claims settled for kidney-related ailments over the last three years are under the non- surgical category, where most of the diseases are managed with dialysis. There has been a year-on- year increase in this since FY 15-16 to FY 17-18.
Sukhesh Bhave, Deputy Vice President – Accident & Health Claims, SBI General Insurance said, “SBI General Insurance aims to spread awareness about the increasing incidence of kidney-related ailments in the youth and women with the help of this trend report. Another claims study conducted on women’s * Financial years under consideration include FY 15-16, FY 16-17, and FY 17-18 (till February)
*All figures are a percentage of total claim amount received under kidney-related ailments within the specified gender health by SBI General on the occasion of Women’s Day revealed that the maximum number of claims made by women for health insurance was in the age group of 18 to 35 years. Our data points to the increased incidence of kidney-related ailments among women and millennials, given increased stress, sedentary lifestyle, and unwholesome diet. Exercise and a healthy food régime are crucial in order to keep such ailments at bay.”
He added, “Most women often tend to hesitate in getting a health check-up done as they fear the cost of treatment that may come with a possible diagnosis. We are aiming to encourage women to change this behaviour by offering products like SBI General’s Simple Health Insurance Policy which has an affordable premium of Rs. 1,300 per year, and offers a wide coverage from Rs. 50,000 up to Rs. 5,00,000. Furthermore, the policy offers free medical check-ups for every four claim-free years up to a maximum limit of Rs. 2,500.”
World Kidney Day, celebrated in March every year, is a valuable platform to spread awareness about kidney-related ailments to educate people on the importance of keeping these ailments at bay to live a healthy and wholesome life.