Health insurance has many features and benefits. Among them is the very handy maternity insurance cover. Maternity means motherhood, and all the expenses you incur while becoming a mother are covered under the maternity coverage in your medical insurance policy. However, these are special covers. You can make use of them either by completing the waiting period or by option for maternity. Read on to know more.
How does maternity insurance work?
Let us begin by understanding how a maternity health insurance plan works. There are two types of covers that you can opt for. They are:
- Standalone plan
The standalone maternity covers offer only maternity benefits and no other form of health coverage. These plans have lower waiting periods ranging between nine months and two years. Such a plan is an excellent option if you are actively looking to start a family within the next couple of years. There are many good standalone maternity policies available in India, and you can explore your options before making a purchase.
- Rider, along with the comprehensive plan
If you have a comprehensive health insurance policy or are planning to get one, you can opt for a maternity cover rider with it. This is a special add-on cover that is available with practically every comprehensive health policy from every leading health insurance provider in India. It is a convenient cover and includes all of the maternity benefits and your regular health insurance coverage, making it a smart purchase.
Read the policy wordings carefully to understand the clauses related to the exact scope of coverage and also to the waiting period as that will help you to utilise the policy to the best effect.
Covers available
Here is a list of the covers you get in a standard maternity insurance plan:
- Expenses related to childbirth
This is the biggest and the most obvious benefit of getting maternity cover. You will get coverage for all the medical expenses you incur when delivering your baby. This includes normal delivery and c-section delivery. Also, the room rent charges, doctor’s fees, ambulance charges, ICI charges, and surgery costs are all covered under this overhead. So basically, all your health-related expenses while having a baby will be covered.
- Expenses related to newborn care
Immediately after birth, your baby will require some amount of medical monitoring. She will also need to be vaccinated, checked by doctors, and in an unfortunate event, need NICU care. All these expenses related to your newborn baby will also be included in the maternity coverage. This is an important inclusion as it allows you to provide the best care for the newest and most precious member of your family.
- Medically required pregnancy termination
In some very unfortunate cases, doctors advise pregnant women to terminate the pregnancy due to health complications in the mother or the baby. Though sad and unpleasant, these procedures need to be followed and are medically quite expensive. When you have a maternity policy, the medically required pregnancy terminations will be covered.
- Infertility expenses
Fertility treatments are on the rise these days with greater awareness and access. However, these treatments are extremely expensive and not within reach of everyone. If you need to go in for any type of fertility treatment, your maternity health insurance plan may cover it. However, you must note that not every plan includes this, so read the policy documents carefully before you proceed.
- Postpartum health complications
If the mother develops any secondary health problems after delivery, which happen due to the complications related to childbirth, you can make a claim on the maternity expenses. This is also an important inclusion, as many women develop health postpartum health complications that appear all of a sudden without any prior warning or sign.
As you can see, these covers are very handy and make the maternity covers a must-have.
Who needs maternity insurance?
A maternity health insurance plan is primarily needed by couples who plan to have a baby soon. You may consider getting this coverage if you are:
- Newly married couple
Newly married couples usually wait a couple of years before they have a baby. So, if you are a newly married couple, consider investing in a maternity health plan right away. You will have a baby eventually, so get the plan now and exhaust the waiting period by the time you are ready to welcome your little bundle of joy.
- About to get married
If you are about to get married, then you can invest in maternity cover. Also, if you have a family member who is getting married, give them a maternity insurance plan as a wedding gift, as that would be very thoughtful, useful, and unique as well!
- Just had your first baby.
It is very common for couples in India to have two children. Most households have two children, so if you have had one child now and plan on having one more a few years later, get maternity cover now. By the time your baby grows, and you are ready to get her sibling, your maternity coverage will be ready for use. This will make it easier for you and your spouse to manage maternity expenses in a simple and hassle-free manner.
- A growing family
If you have a comprehensive family floater health plan, include your daughter-in-law, or your wife, as soon as she enters the family after marriage. Along with that, get the maternity add-on cover attached to the policy as well. Not only will this keep your new family member protected, but it will also have provisions for your child, who may be here in a couple of months. And after the baby is born, include him or her under the health plan too.
There is a waiting period of about three years in most maternity covers, so plan ahead and make a financially wise decision for the future.
Conclusion
As you can clearly see from the points mentioned above, maternity health insurance covers are highly beneficial. Since most people choose to have children, maternity expenses are incurred sooner or later. If you want to avoid paying a hefty hospital bill and ensure that you never have to make any health compromises when your baby enters the world, invest in good maternity coverage right away. Thankfully, there are some excellent options available in India these days. Either get a rider added to your existing health plan or explore the standalone maternity plans, depending on what your needs and requirements are. Once that is done, you can rest assured and wait for a healthy and happy pregnancy, followed by an uneventful and joyful childbirth.
Disclaimer: This article is for illustrative purposes only. For further details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.
