Maternity Health Insurance is a health plan that offers comprehensive coverage of medical costs, which includes delivery expenses, medical costs, test expenses, newborn expenses, etc. It may offer coverage for certain maternity-related expenses, subject to applicable terms and conditions, waiting period, and limits. Also, it covers expenses for both normal and caesarean deliveries. Also, it covers both pre and post-hospitalisation treatment costs, which include consultation fees, surgeon fees, and anaesthesia. Maternity coverage generally comes with a waiting period, which varies based on the insurance company and plan chosen. Once this period is over, the healthcare facilities related to pregnancy can be availed.
What Does Maternity Insurance Usually Cover?
Some of the expenses that may be covered, subject to applicable terms and conditions, are:
- Medication
- Inpatient Care Treatments
- Vaccination Expenses of Newborn
- Ambulance Expenses
- Follow-up Visits
- Medically Required Pregnancy Termination Expenses
- Daycare Treatments
- Pre & Post Natal Expenses
- In-Patient Hospitalisation Expenses
- Normal Delivery Expenses
- Complications related to pregnancy
- C-Sec Expenses
What are the common exclusions of the Maternity Insurance?
The common exclusions may vary depending on the respective insurance company and plan. Some of the expenses which are not included are mentioned here:
- Routine doctor consultations or check-ups.
- Consultation fees and diagnostic tests during pregnancy may be covered or not depending on the plan chosen.
- Pregnancy termination expenses that are excluded or not necessary under the plan
- IVF or any assisted reproductive treatments, unless specifically mentioned in the plan
What should you check before buying Maternity Insurance?
There are certain factors that should be checked before buying Health Insurance with Maternity Cover in India.
- Coverage Benefits
- Prenatal Care:
Check for prenatal care inclusions, such as scans, prenatal check-ups, consultations, etc. - Postnatal Care:
Check for postnatal care inclusions, such as medications, follow-ups, etc.
- Delivery Categories:
Check for delivery-related coverage, i.e. both normal and C-sec deliveries are included.
- Newborn Coverage:
Check whether the mediclaim covers medical expenses of your newborn post-birth or not.
- Waiting Period
Maternity insurance comes with a longer waiting period, which ranges from 9 months to many years. Evaluate and compare the waiting period all across different insurance companies before finalising one.
- Accessible Network of Hospitals
Select a maternity insurance plan with a wide network of hospitals near your place, and that offers a cashless facility.
- Premium Cost
Compare the premium cost offered by different insurance companies along with the coverage offered to choose the premium that best suits your budget. You can also use financial tools to understand the premium cost, plan your budget, and how to calculate EMI for financing options.
Benefits of Maternity Health Plan
Provided are some of the benefits of a maternity health plan:
- Cashless Hospitalization
Under this plan, the eligible hospital bills are settled directly by the insurance company at network hospitals, subject to applicable terms and conditions. - In-patient care
This plan covers in-patient care, including complications, if any, at the time of delivery. - Day Care Treatment
This plan covers day care treatment also. - Advanced Technology Methods
This plan offers sustainable healthcare with digitally advanced techniques for maternity treatments. - Newborn Baby Cover
This plan does not restrict coverage to delivery, but extends up to the first 90 days after the birth of the newborn. - Pre-Hospitalisation
This plan includes expenses incurred 30 days prior to hospitalisation. - Post-Hospitalisation Cover
This plan also covers eligible post-hospitalisation expenses, such as follow-up visits, medications, etc., up to 60 days of discharge. - Single Private Room with AC
This plan provides coverage for a single private room with an air conditioner facility, subject to applicable terms and conditions. - Long Term Policy
This plan offers 3-year coverage without any need for renewal. - Discounts
This plan comes with a multi-year insurance facility, which offers a discount of 10% on the premium amount, if opted for. - Free Look Period
A free look period is meant to provide comfort in case you are not sure whether the policy you have decided on is appropriate for you or not. The insurance premium amount will be returned in case no claim has been made after deducting the proportionate premium, stamp duty charges, medical expenses, etc. - Optional Cover-No Claim Bonanza
Some policies also offer 100% of the sum assured as bonus if no claim has been raised during the period of 3 years. This facility can be availed at an additional premium cost. - Direct Claim Settlement
This plan offers a simple claim process, whether it is planned or emergency admission. You are just required to show your health card at the time of admission at any of the network hospitals to avail the cashless facility. In case of a non-network hospital, you can still get the claim settled after informing the insurance company & providing them with the documents. - Tax Benefit
This plan also offers tax benefits on the amount of premium paid as per the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961. - Sum Insured Restoration
The amount of sum insured will be restored in case the initial sum insured of a non-related illness gets exhausted under this plan.
FAQs
Are there any maternity insurance plans without any waiting period?
A maternity insurance plan generally comes with a waiting period in India, the duration of which varies depending on the insurance company and plan chosen. This means that the maternity coverage cannot be availed immediately if the waiting period applicable is not completed.
Are normal and C-section deliveries both covered under this plan?
Yes, the maternity insurance plan covers normal and C-section delivery charges, subject to applicable terms, conditions, limitations, and waiting period.
Conclusion
A maternity health plan is a type of health insurance plan that includes hospitalisation expenses, delivery costs, medical expenses, etc. Parenthood, though, is the most beautiful journey, but it is expensive too, which is due to increased medical expenses. This makes pregnancy a financial burden, due to which people consider a maternity health plan to provide them with quality healthcare services with financial security.
