Procrastination and Consequences: How I Learned To Make Smart Choices In Life

We don’t always realize how our day-to-day decisions can shape our lives for better or for worse. Every decision we make defines our future just a little more.

In some cases, the timing of our decisions also plays a huge factor. Procrastinating, for example, can have dire consequences. I learned that lesson the hard way when I let the hustle and bustle of everyday life put off getting critical illness insurance for my kids.

As a parent, you, of course, always hope and pray that your kids won’t ever have to combat a life-threatening condition. But at the same time, it would also be irresponsible for you to not consider that there’ll always be that possibility, even if it’s just at the back of your mind.

During the pandemic, I already made the decision to cover my kids with critical illness insurance. However, as I mentioned earlier, life seemingly got in the way, from my second eldest moving to Australia for her studies to fulfilling a longtime dream of building my own house in the province. I had a lot on my plate at that time, and I just procrastinated on acting on the decision to get insurance.

I would later realize how vital those decisions could have been when my eldest daughter Jewel had to be rushed to the hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm. She spent two weeks confined – one in Neuro-ICU and another in the regular ward – and had to take a wide range of diagnostic tests, including several MRIs and CT scans, and various blood tests, among others. She also had to undergo a gamma knife surgery as part of her treatment, a form of brain surgery that doesn’t require an incision and eliminates the risks associated with open brain surgery. All of it amounted to over Php 1.2 million, with the surgery alone already costing Php 580,000.

Fortunately, Jewel was covered for up to Php 400,000 from her employee healthcare, which at least helped ease the financial burden of her confinement and treatment. The rest I had to pay from my personal savings. I felt blessed that I had enough to cover the costs, and didn’t have to seek anyone for help.

Not everyone in the hospital had the same luck as I did though. When I was there, I overheard some patients’ families calling relatives to ask for whatever financial help they could provide. During those moments, it made me reflect on why I procrastinated on getting my kids critical health insurance, even though I was able to afford the medical expenses. I asked myself, “What if I couldn’t afford it at that time?”

That’s why I strongly believe now, when you have a smart idea in mind, act on it. Try your best not to put it off because time can sometimes work against you. Such is the case with my procrastination and my daughter’s brain aneurysm.

But perhaps more than anything, I learned how valuable it is to have critical illness insurance. Agents at times make the mistake of promoting the product as if it’s a cure. It’s not. If you get sick, regardless of whether you have critical illness insurance or not, it’ll be difficult. But if you do have it, you at least eliminate the financial burden that comes with getting sick, which in turn helps you focus on your recovery. It also saves you from having to debate about whether to get treatment or not since the cost of whatever procedure you might need will be covered.

In case you’re looking for critical illness insurance, I usually recommend Sun Life’s SUN Fit and Well plan, which features critical illness and life insurance benefits until age 100 with bonus disease prevention programs.