Chronic illness has the greatest effect on psychological, physical and social functioning.

Finding out you have a chronic illness/condition is one of the most life-altering realities one can face in life. Without a proper balance in family, medical and financial support, dealing with a chronic condition can become overwhelming.

This article will explore the impact brought by chronic illness in the lives of those diagnosed and the coverage of chronic illness as well in Medical Insurance.

What is a chronic illness?

Unlike viruses like flu, which you get for a short period of time, chronic illnesses last a long time, often for a year or more. Dealing with the difficulties that come with it affects you and those around you.

Global statistics show that chronic conditions caused 74% of all deaths worldwide in 2019, rising from 67% of deaths in 2010. The mortality data reflect high prevalence’s of chronic conditions across populations.

Examples of chronic diseases include:

• Diabetes
• Chronic lung disease
• HIV
• Hypertension

The impact of chronic illnesses/ conditions

Living with a chronic illness/condition comes with a lot of changes which impacts your daily life and routine. There is physical health impact, emotional support impact, and financial impact. All these play a role in the management of your illness/condition.

The impact on your physical health

Just like when you have the flu, chronic illnesses have disease-specific symptoms, but may also come with symptoms like pain, fatigue and mood disorders. If you were not into exercising, you may now need to consider doing simple exercises like walking, jogging and more if you can. By exercising, you help in not worsening your condition. Taking medication also becomes a part of you daily routine which you need to always keep up with.

Keeping up with your health management can either become a burden or it can easily be embedded into your daily routine with the right support.

The emotional support impact

When undergoing change such discovering you or a loved one is going to be living with a permanent medical condition, a strong support system is very important.

Physical changes from a disease may affect your appearance. These changes negatively impact how you see and feel about yourself, which could lead to self-alienation. You may also experience depression and anxiety.

The family and work life impact

As a family person, you may have family members who depend on you on a daily basis. If for example you are a mom/dad, you may have kids to care for every day. But a chronic illness may require you to limit on some of the work you do in your household that form a part of taking care of your dependants. The change of emotions can also impact your relationship with them.

Striking a balance between home and work becomes even more challenging. Some of these struggles can even get too overwhelming that you end up leaving the job. When this happens, you might face financial difficulties.
All these changes can cause a sense of hopelessness, not only for you but for your loved ones as well. Without proper adjustment, a chronic illness/condition can become a thorn in your life.

The financial impact

It is a known fact, once you are diagnosed with a chronic illness/condition, one way or the other, your finances must be altered to accommodate this new reality. From changes in your diet, medication, doctor’s visits, and regular health checks, you may be left dry and out if you do not have an insurance plan.

How Medical Insurance swoops in to save the day

Chronic illness medical support is one of the important things to consider when dealing with chronic illness/condition. Without that support, it becomes difficult to even track the progress you make or to live life worry-free.

Medical Insurance providers have ensured that managing your condition is the least of your worries by providing benefits tailored to manage your condition.

Medication

Being a member of some insurance providers gets you unlimited cover for chronic illness medication, as long as it is in their list of covered medicine list. How heartwarming is it to know that you wouldn’t have to worry about long queues trying to get your medication? Of course, you would need to do thorough research to know of the limits that come with the benefit to ensure you know exactly what you are covered for.

Support

We have established that dealing with the reality of a chronic illness comes with a lot of stress. Without a proper support structure, your mental health can suffer. This is why, some providers have packaged their plans to offer support. This may include HIV programmes that aim to give support to those diagnosed with HIV.

Furthermore, some providers still come at your aid with free counselling services to help you navigate life with ease.

Other day-to-day benefits

Some providers have day-to-day benefits to ensure you still get access to quality private healthcare and get cover for doctor’s visits, dentistry, and more. All of these depending on the provider, may cost you less than R500 per month, which is a huge bargain.

Secure your health! Now!

Living with a chronic illness/condition is not a life sentence. You can still enjoy life to the fullest without worrying about the things that can be taken care of by your Medical Insurance. That’s it for this article, hopefully it helps you secure your health with the right provider.

Not all Medical Insurance plans are the same and benefits as well as limitations may vary. Descriptions of benefits given are meant to be for general educational purposes only and you must ensure that you seek the advice of a broker to ensure any product choice you make suits your individual needs