How Important is Your BMI When it Comes to Health Insurance?

Posted on: Jan 27, 2022 | | Written by:

How Important is Your BMI When it Comes to Health Insurance?

Published on February 2, 2022. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

Importance of BMI in Health Insurance - Health insurance

Health issues are a part and parcel of life, no matter how careful you are. Which is why, getting health insurance is important as it can be your financial backup if you encounter a medical emergency. A health insurance company will either pay your hospital directly or reimburse you for the expenses you incurred due to an illness.

Now, if you are thinking of getting health insurance, you should know that your fitness level affects your insurance premium rates. And a standard measure of your fitness level is BMI or Body Mass Index. Read on to know what BMI is, how it is calculated, and how it affects your health insurance.

What is BMI?

BMI or Body Mass Index is a calculation that uses your height to find your ideal weight. It also predicts your body fat percentage. Thus, if you have a high BMI, your body fat will be higher and if you have a low BMI, your body fat will be low.

How is BMI calculated?

Here is the formula for calculating your BMI:

Your weight in kilograms/square of your height in metres

So, for example, if your height is 1.58m, and your weight is 66kg, your BMI would be

66/(1.58)2 which is equal to 66/2.496, that is 26.43.

Once you calculate your BMI, refer to the below chart to find out if your BMI is high or low:

BMI	Weight
Lower than 18.5	Underweight
18.5 to 24.9	Normal
25 to 29.9	Overweight
Above 30.0	Obese

Why is BMI important?

BMI indicates your body fat level, and so, it is an important indicator of health risks. People with high BMI have more chances of getting affected by obesity-related health problems such as cardiovascular issues, type-2 diabetes, sleep apnoea, gallbladder problems, and early death.

Higher BMI also indicates that you are not getting balanced nutrition and the high fat content in your body could cause low bone density, resulting in joint pains and osteoarthritis.

On the other hand, a low BMI might indicate that your body is unable to absorb nutrients properly, and that you may be anorexic or have some underlying health issue.

What is the relation between BMI and health insurance?

As BMI indicates your health and fitness levels, it affects your insurance premiums. Higher or lower than normal BMI will attract high insurance premiums.

This is because if your BMI is high, it means you are at risk of getting heart disease and you will need to visit the hospital more often because of weight-related complications. If your BMI is lower than normal, it indicates that you are unhealthy and might be suffering from an undiagnosed condition.

The logic that health insurance companies use is that if your BMI is in the extremes, it means you will be making more hospital visits. This will mean more medical expenses for the insurance company. So, the higher the projected expenses on your health problems, the higher will be your insurance premium.

Is BMI the only health indicator that health insurance companies use?

BMI as the only health indicator is heavily debated as it may be inaccurate at times. For example, a healthy individual with normal BMI might be at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases if they have a family history of heart problems.

Similarly, someone with a normal BMI might be a smoker or consume alcohol regularly. This could put them at risk of getting heart and lung problems, stroke, liver and kidney issues, etc.

Therefore, although health insurance companies look at your BMI as a general health indicator, they also consider several other factors, such as:

1. Age:

Younger people get better premium rates from health insurance companies as they are less likely to visit hospitals regularly when compared to older individuals.

2. Drinking alcohol or smoking:

If you drink heavily or smoke cigarettes, your insurance premium will be higher. Even if you have the ideal BMI, your organs will get affected by the long-term substance abuse. Hence, in addition to your BMI, your lifestyle choices affect the premium rates.

3. Family History:

Hereditary diseases like heart problems, diabetes, Parkinson’s, dementia, etc. could jump generations and affect you much later in life. So, your insurer will check your family medical historyand your BMI before deciding your premium.

Conclusion

It is essential to understand that although BMI calculation is an important indicator of your health for a health insurer, it is not the only factor that is considered. People who have higher than normal BMIs may do well in other fitness tests. Since bones and muscles are denser than body fat, athletes and body builders often have a high BMI, though they are healthy and fit. However, the best way to remain healthy and save on your insurance premium is to lose any excess weight by eating healthy food and exercising daily.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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