India, April 20 -- With young people prone to heart issues, insurance premiums are up

Here are a few heart-wrenching facts. Data from a recent report shows that there is a structural health shift. Younger individuals are more prone to advanced cardiac conditions, which forces them to pay higher insurance premiums, and results in stricter underwriting by the insurers, apart from higher out-of-pocket expenses. According to a survey by Plum, an employee insurance and health benefits firm, one in three applicants have witnessed the premiums rise by up to 50 per cent once the cardiac risk is detected, and one in five faces rejection in claims. Thus, the patients are squeezed at both ends.

Of course, the treatment costs for cardiac problems a...