There comes a moment when we begin a new journey — starting a family. It’s a joyous and fulfilling experience, but it brings new responsibilities, especially financial ones. Health insurance maternity cover can ease a significant economic burden during this precious time and help you feel relaxed.
Childbirth expenses in India are steadily rising. With rising costs for normal and C-section deliveries, many young couples are caught off guard. A quality maternity insurance plan becomes essential. But it’s equally important to understand what is and isn’t covered.
In this blog, we will break down all about health insurance for maternity.
Importance of Maternity Coverage in Health Insurance
An all-inclusive health insurance maternity cover in India ensures parents-to-be are financially prepared for a safe pregnancy and post-delivery phase. Whether you plan to conceive sooner or later, maternity benefits in your health insurance for pregnancy and birth can make a big difference.
Most of the best health insurance with maternity cover includes expenses like delivery, hospitalisation, doctor visits, and even newborn care. However, most policies have a maternity waiting period.
However, select policies offer immediate coverage if you're looking for the best maternity insurance plans with no waiting period. These can be especially useful if you're planning a family soon.
What’s Typically Covered Under Maternity Health Insurance
It’s important to know which medical expenses are covered before selecting health insurance maternity cover. Although each policy might vary slightly in benefits, typical health insurance for pregnancy in India covers the following areas:
Pre and Postnatal Expenses
Most plans cover doctor visits, scans, ultrasounds, and blood tests during pregnancy. Such coverage includes postnatal care, follow-up checkups, medications, and mental health consultations. Most of the best health insurance plans for pregnancy in India also cover lactation consultations and introductory nutrition sessions.
Delivery Charges (Normal & C-Section)
Health insurance typically covers normal and C-section deliveries, including doctor’s fees, anesthesia, and operating room charges. To find the best health insurance with maternity cover, it is essential to note that the sub-limits on delivery charges are reasonable for your city.
Hospitalisation Costs
Most health insurance for pregnancy in India, from the time of admission to your discharge, commonly consists of room rent, nursing charges, medical consumables, and medicines given during the hospital stay. Some policies also offer a cashless health insurance claim process for added convenience.
Newborn Baby Cover (for Limited Duration)
Most maternity insurance plans offer newborn coverage from birth up to 90 days. If the policy specifies, the baby's hospital expenses, vaccinations, and basic treatment for congenital problems during this period may be covered.
Vaccinations for the Baby (in Some Plans)
Specific premium insurance policies cover mandatory vaccinations such as BCG, polio, and hepatitis B during a particular time frame. This feature may not be available in all plans, but it’s valuable when comparing top maternity insurance options.
Common Exclusions in Maternity Health Insurance
We've reviewed the benefits; now, let's examine the exclusions of your pregnancy health insurance.
Infertility Treatments or IVF
Most health insurance maternity cover policies in India do not include infertility treatments, that is, IVF & assisted reproduction procedures. These treatments are costly and must be planned and financed separately.
Costs Beyond Policy Sub-Limits
All maternity plans have sub-limits, meaning even if your delivery cost is ₹90,000, your policy foresees up to ₹50,000. The remaining ₹40,000 is your cost. So it’s essential to know your policy’s sub-limits in advance.
Pre-existing Pregnancy at the Time of Purchase
Most insurance companies do not offer maternity coverage if you’re already pregnant when buying the policy, as it’s considered a pre-existing condition. So, how to get health insurance when pregnant? Some employer-provided group insurance plans may offer partial coverage, but you’ll need to have the policy in place before conception to be eligible for individual plans.
Non-allopathic Treatments
Alternative treatments for pregnancy, such as Ayurveda and Homoeopathy, are not covered by the majority of insurance policies. You should verify whether your health insurance covers non-allopathic treatments before pursuing them.
How much does health insurance cover for pregnancy?
The amount your policy covers for maternity depends on the sub-limit defined in your plan. On average, health insurance for pregnancy may offer ₹25,000–₹50,000 for normal delivery and up to ₹1 lakh for a C-section, but it varies widely by insurer and city.
Choosing the Right Maternity Insurance Plan
If you’re wondering how to choose a health insurance plan for pregnancy, ask yourself:
- How soon do I want to start a family?
- Can I wait out the waiting period?
- What hospitals are in the insurer’s network?
- What’s the claim process like?
- Is newborn coverage available?
Understanding the different types of health insurance is key to choosing the right maternity plan for your family's planning goals.
Being informed helps you avoid last-minute surprises.
When selecting the best policy, you must consider coverage details, ease of filing claims, the insurer's reliability, and premium costs. When you search for the best health insurance maternity cover, you should compare plans that offer reasonable waiting periods, wide hospital networks, and solid postnatal support.
Conclusion
The beauty of maternity comes with financial preparation, which reduces associated stress. Health insurance maternity cover allows you to handle medical expenses while paying full attention to your baby.
Understanding what health insurance covers during pregnancy and identifying its limitations should be a priority for those planning to conceive and expecting mothers. The earlier you choose and invest in the right health insurance plan, the more benefits you can access when needed.
FAQ
Maternity coverage is not a standard feature in every health insurance plan. Always check the inclusions before buying.
Most insurance providers exclude maternity coverage for women who are already pregnant. Buy your health insurance maternity cover early, before planning for a baby.
Maternity-related claims cannot be made if delivery occurs before the policy's waiting period is completed. Patients must personally cover the expenses, even if they have pregnancy health insurance.
While specific plans provide basic newborn screening and checkups through baby cover, this feature is unavailable in all plans. Carefully review the details of your preferred maternity health insurance option before making any decisions.
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