Get a preventive health check-up done and save on tax too!

Almost every big hospital as well as diagnostic and polyclinic* centres offer health check-up packages ranging from a general check-up to a sugar, heart, kidney, liver, bone, cancer screening along with  diet, physician, dental and ophthalmology consultations among others.

We believe in the concept of prevention is better than cure and insist everybody to go for regular health check-up to avoid any major health issues. What better motivation than to receive tax benefits on getting a health check-up done?

What is the tax benefit?

In the Budget 2012, the government has announced tax deduction benefit of upto INR 5,000 under Section 80D on account of preventive health check-up for self, spouse, dependent children and parents.

However, this deduction benefit is inclusive of the overall deduction under Section 80 D (INR 15,000 per annum) for payment of health insurance premium. If one of your parents is a senior citizen, then the limit is enhanced to INR 20,000 per annum.

If you are already claiming full tax deduction under section 80D, then there is no additional tax benefit on preventive health check-up expenditure.

Payment by any mode (cash and cheque) is accepted for claiming deduction for preventive health check-ups.

How to claim tax deduction on Preventive Health-Check done?

Salaried individuals can submit photocopy of the bill to their employer at the time of investment declaration. Non-salaried individuals can keep the original receipt with them in case the ITO demands the same in the future.

Here is a quick list (not exhaustive) of hospitals and polyclinics offering various health-care packages:

Elbit Diagnostics

Indus HealthPlus

Apollo Hospitals

CARE Hospitals

Lakeshore Hospitals

Max HealthCare

Note: Check the above links for availability in your city and list of available packages. You can book an online appointment for few of them too.

* A polyclinic is a place where a wide range of health care services (including diagnostics) can be obtained without the need for an overnight stay. Polyclinics are sometimes also co-located with a hospital.