BounceBack from a critical illness!

This article is all about Critical Illness insurance cover. We all know the increase in the number of critical illness cases. Below are few facts:

• Heart disease is the number 1 killer in India followed by Cancer.
• 1 in every 10 adults suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease. 
• Lung Disease is constantly increasing in India. 

A critical illness impacts not just the patient but the entire family. The entire family undergoes an emotional setback when any member of the family suffers from a critical illness. What hits alongside with the emotional pain is the financial burden to get the critically ill member the required medical treatment which is best for him/her. And God Forbid if one is unfortunate and does not have sufficient funds they are forced to wait for the next stage of the illness or lend money from their friends and relatives.

The term ‘critical’ for an illness means if not treated timely it could lead to death and the other critical factor associated with it is that the treatment for it is extremely costly and hence many times people can’t afford to get themselves treated and the ones who get themselves treated exhaust their entire savings. For example, a cancer treatment may require several rounds of chemotherapy  or radiotherapy which often ranges around 1-2 lakhs per session plus associated costs like travel, subsequent advanced medications. The patient ends up shelling out somewhere between 5 lacs to 20 lacs. Also if the bread winner ends up suffering from a critical illness then he/she will not be in a state to earn for atleast 6 months. Who will pay for EMIs or daily expenses? What about the savings he/she had for the child’s education? All of this will cause huge financial distress.

How a Critical illness plan helps?

From a financial perspective, a critical illness plan can definitely help the patient.If the person suffering from the Illness has a critical illness insurance cover, the insurance company would provide a lump sum amount to the policy holder on diagnosis itself. So no medical or hospitalisation bills have to be submitted. For example, if the cover was taken for Rs. 50 lacs, the entire amount shall be provided to the insured person and the amount can be used for any purpose. A few examples where such lumpsum amount can be used are :

• Hospital Bills 
• Paying of Liabilities  such as house loan, loans taken for personal reason
• House Modification like if a person can no longer climb steps, their bathrooms need modification or he/she will need to purchase mobility accessories to continue living life as normally as possible.
• Regular Source of Income for his/her daily expenses. 

Plans available in the market: 

There are plans like Aegon iCancer and HDFC CancerCare which provide cover against cancer at a low cost premium. However, they only provide cover against one critical illness. Edelweiss Tokio Life –CritiCare+ provides cover against 17 critical illnesses like cancer, heast disease, chronic kidney failure, organ transplant, permanent paralysis, total blindness etc. It also provides a multi claim option where the policy holder can claim thrice if he is diagnosed by a second or third critical illness. The premium rates are comparatively low for higher sum assured. This seems like a comprehensive critical illness plan that can help one bounceback from a critical illness without any financial worry.

Indipr.com – Content marketing for businesses

With 880 million Indians online, India has become a digital country. In last 5 years, we saw the growth of e-commerce, consultancy startups and even payment banks. Businesses need to go online to promote themselves and their products. Online consumers have the choice of selection as well as the choice to complaint. For a rocking start, a business needs to go viral. You need influencers.

An influencer can be a blogger, reviewer or a vlogger who can create a perception about the brand. Indiblogger, a blogger community across India has launched IndiPR.com. Businesses can now publish their press release through relevant influencers.

IndiPR.com is an Automated Influencer Targeting Engine (AITE) that will help Businesses to spread the word about their newly launched products and services by top bloggers. IndiPR.com is the brainchild of the Indiblogger Team. The newly launched portal will help both bloggers (Influencers) and Businesses.  With IndiPR.com, there will be no shortage of ideas for bloggers to write meaningful content. Businesses don't have to go through the painful task of identifying top bloggers from their niche. IndiPR.com will benefit both bloggers and as well as businesses.

AITE accepts application and automatically shortlists bloggers based on various factors including internal ratings and rankings. Once shortlisted, the influencers do their research and publish their articles. Business can rate bloggers according to quality and timely submission.

Anoop Johnson, Co-founder & Director of Marketing at IndiBlogger, adds, “With a starting budget of just USD 150, a business of any size will be able to get their press releases published by influential bloggers with a few clicks.”

Renie Ravin, the Founder and CEO of IndiBlogger, says, “We believe that this system will help Influencers with fresh and new content on their site every day. In a way, you could be writing about the next Google without even realising its immense potential.”

Link to IndiPR.com

By - Chaitanya Kulkarni ( twitter,com/chai2kul )

#SMEinvest : Kushal Tradelink Ltd

Small & Medium Enterprises are the backbone to the economy of India. With the allocation of 3 lakh crores from government of India, the SMEs or start ups are expected to outperform in coming years. This week, The Indian Capitalist tells the story of an Ahmedabad based Kushal Tradelink Ltd (KTL) which can be an opportunity for the investors and an epitome of a success story for the new established businesses.

Kushal Tradelink is one of the leading wholesalers in Ahmedabad for paper and paper products. The company was incorporated in the year 2000 and is promoted by Mr. Sandeep Agarwal. Its sole business comprises of Kraft paper, Waste paper and Duplex board. Kushal Tradelink Ltd caters to the market of Gujarat and has existing clientele base of over 1500 reputed customers.

Kushal Tradelink’s stocking and processing facilities are ISO 9001:2008 compliant. KTL’s credit rating stands at BBB (Investment Grid) with the outlook stable from leading rating agency. In FY 2013, the company came up with Initial Public Offering which was successfully subscribed and subsequently listed on SME platform of Bombay Stock Exchange. Since then, the stock price of Kushal Tradelink has seen positive growth and current stock price stands at Rs 125.20.

Pic - Stock performance Q4 FY 2015

TIC’s take

Positive traction is expected in KTL’s stock as net tangible profit is expected to soar due to import pressures. Nominal sell off is expected in Kushal Tradelink due to profit booking as the company recently declared its second interim dividend.

With over 20,000 shareholders, Kushal Tradelink Ltd is a trusted brand on the bourse. The company has declared Rs.250 crore supply deal with Shree Rama Newsprints and Rs.1000 crore deal with Bunge India Pvt Ltd. The company has also announced an undisclosed amounted deal with Adrion Enterprise Pvt Ltd.  

Indian Paper industry has evolved into Agro-based industry from its earlier character of a forest-based industry. Indian paper industry accounts for about 1.6% of the world’s production of paper and paperboard. The estimated turnover of the industry is Rs. 25,000 core (USD 5.95 billion) approximately.

Major analytical firms like Nomura, JP Morgan and UBS are of an view that the worst of the Indian stock market is over and the market will see a bounce back. The Indian Capitalist is of a similar view and we expect BSE Sensex to reach 28,500 by Diwali. BSE Midcaps and SME will outperform in the rally.

Government of India’s decision to allow 100% FDI in newspaper and magazines would bring movement in net sales of news print papers and coated papers.With ease of regulation and industry partnerships, the scrip of Kushal Tradelink Ltd is expected to reach par Rs.170. The Indian Capitalist gives Buy status to the stock of Kushal Tradelink Ltd.

Disclaimer – We have provided all information based on our research and we do not have any holding. Please consult your financial advisor before making any investment decision.

By – Chaitanya Kulkarni ( twitter.com/chai2kul )

10000 Views!

To Me - #DoYourHomework

The average age of a couple that plans for their first child is 32 years in India. Although, inflation may be going on the down side a major expense of an average Indian household is growing at a fast pace. It is all because we want more for ourselves and our children. Indian parents still compare their own childhood but want to give their child the best.

The cost of higher education is already high and rising at 10-12 per cent a year. Children's education is one of the biggest cash outflows that new mums and dads must plan for their child’s future. A four-year engineering course costs roughly Rs 6 lakh right now. In six years, the cost is likely to touch Rs 12 lakh. By 2027, it would cost Rs 24 lakh to get an engineering degree.

In the earlier generations the competition was low. Now, the heightened competition for admission is forcing students to turn to more costly private institutions.

In the future, global education brands may come to India and their fees will be very high. Lifestyle inflation, too, has affected the cost of children's education. As the standard of living rises, it affects the decision about where one sends their child for higher education.

However, the big question worrying Indian parents is: will they be able to fund their children’s aspirations? They can, if they plan ahead and take the right steps. Our cover story this week looks at the challenges parents face while saving for their children's education and how these can be overcome.

Surprisingly, even today parents depend upon with fixed assets, gold savings, etc. We at The Indian Capitalist believe young Indians have a better option.

Start early and see them fly:

One solution is to start saving early. The individual will not only be able to gather a larger sum, but the money will also gain from the power of compounding. Investing in a secured Mutual Fund SIP on a monthly basis would allow a better capital appreciation just when your kids need.

To start early is to plan early. To plan early is to #DoYourHomework.

This is a note to me. I WILL DO MY HOMEWORK.

By - Chaitanya Kulkarni ( twitter.com/chai2kul )

Credihealth - Revolutionizing mHealth in Digital India

Healthcare has come a long way, evolving through centuries of development and the addition of methodologies of cure and care. In fact, the whole approach to medical care and diagnostics has changed – adopting new medicines, care technology, and curing techniques. The IT revolution has transformed the mobile health sector by bringing patients and doctor closer like never before. Basic diagnosis is just a click away in this age of information. This week, The Indian Capitalist reviews the number 1 company in digital healthcare space - Credihealth.

Credihealth is your medical assistant on-the-go. The Android application helps the patient or her family member type the symptoms and it lets you know the nearest doctor available. In case the patient needs surgery, Credihealth helps the patient make an informed decision by providing him with  three or more treatment quotations from leading hospitals. This helps patients compare and select the best option for himself. Credihealth app can search for the best specialist in any field on searching a surgery name. All the health app user needs to do is type in the surgery name, which will then get him a list of top doctors and surgeons who’re experts in performing the surgery.

Features of Credihealth

• Search according to medical condition, symptom, specialty, doctor or hospital name.
• Select and confirm your appointment from any of 25,000+ Specialist Doctors from 450+ Hospitals in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Indore.
• Check credentials, experience, education qualifications, OPD schedule and fees.
• Get cost estimate of medical procedure from any 3 hospitals of your choice. Medical cost estimation will help you to choose the cheapest option and save your money in important times.
• Get details about amenities and services of Hospitals.
• Easy & Hassle FREE appointment booking at NO extra cost
• Guidance from in-house Medical Experts.
• You can book doctors appointment by calling Credihealth's tollfree healthline 1800 1022733

The Indian Capitalist tested the app. We searched for doctors related to Cardiology near Girgaum, Mumbai and got the results immediately. The doctors were listed according to their work of experience and were associated with the best known hospitals in my area such as HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Lilavati, Jaslok Hospital etc. Users get the choice to compare the fees of these experienced doctors. With Credihealth, we can book an appointment with doctors within few minutes in the time of urgency. You can also book the appointments for calling the toll free number.

The Indian Capitalist gives thumb ups to the Credihealth app. Digital healthcare companies like Credihealth have potential to optimise inefficiency and bring transparency to the current state of healthcare in India. With more and more digital Indians getting online, connecting people to the right doctor and hospital using technology is the need of the hour. Download the app here.

By - Chaitanya Kulkarni

For critical medical care – go for Edelweiss Tokio Life CritiCare+

Few days ago, my friend’s dad had been detected with cancer. The cost of the chemo treatment went as high as 18 lakhs and yet there are grim chances of hope. He had to cancel his Masters admission to University of Auckland, New Zealand as he couldn’t afford the burden of ever increasing hospital bills and his father did not have the right mediclaim insurance policy.

A critical illness insurance plan provides the sum assured on diagnosis itself, thus one doesn’t have to submit hospitalisation bills. Also, one can use the amount the way he/she wants like for daily expenses, advanced treatment, paying EMIs, etc. 2012 GLOBOCAN report suggests India has 10 lakh cases of cancer and nearly 7 lakh cancer deaths. One of the major reason is patients having to discontinue their treatment as they cannot afford it. Cancer treatment in private hospital costs around Rs. 3 lakh for surgery, Rs 2 lakh for IMRT and an additional cost of Rs 1 lakh if chemotherapy is suggested. Indian version of drugs like Herceptin costs Rs 57, 500 per vial, while Rituximab costs Rs.50, 000 per cycle. Looking at the expenses, normal mediclaim policy will exhaust with just a few doses.

We have to admit that air pollution and diabetes increase the chances of critical illness among us. In such situations, it is better to be insured than sorry. This time, we review insurance policies which cover severe to very severe diseases. We have compared Aegon Religare iCancer, HDFC cancer care and Edelweiss Tokio Life – CritiCare+

Edelweiss Tokio Life – CritiCare + stands out as the best policy to buy as it not only covers cancer but 16 other severe diseases too.

The patient can also get lump sum benefit on the diagnosis of critical illness. Since critical illnesses are generally long term, Edelweiss Tokio Life CritiCare+ comes with the multi-claim option where one can claim thrice in a single policy term. Under multi-claim option; patients get waivers on future premiums on the occurrence of their first claim. As per Section 80D of Income Tax Act, an Indian citizen is liable for tax benefit on the premium and claim amount. You can buy Edelweiss Tokio Life CritiCare+ policy here.

With the increase the number of cases of heart attacks and cancer, investing in critical illness insurance is a smart choice. A critical illness may reduce your and your family members’ ability to continue working and also put added pressure on the account of medical expenses involved. It is extremely important to plan well so that your family can work towards your #BounceBack without worrying of finances.

By – Chaitanya Kulkarni ( #BloggerForever )

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