*All savings are provided by the insurer as per the IRDAI approved insurance plan. Standard T&C Apply
Attaining motherhood is the best time of a woman's life. Nowadays, the ages of the women attaining motherhood have gone up to 32 to 33 years in India, bringing along many complications as against the earlier pregnancies before the age of 30s. With this, there is an increasing need to buy maternity health insurance plans to cover pregnancy, prenatal and post-natal care, which are going higher day by day.
Maternity health insurance plans in India are specially designed to provide coverage against the expenses incurred towards maternity related issues or hospitalisation. Usually, these plans have a waiting period before the actual coverage comes into effect. Maternity related expenses are also covered as add-ons or riders cover in specific health policies with an additional premium. In some cases, however, maternity expenses come under the group of OPD expenses, or if it is a group policy, it may encompass maternity expenses and other expenses.
Becoming a mother is a life-altering journey for a woman as her perspective towards the life changes. The joyful blessing in the form of a child shouldn't dampen for the unplanned expenses causing a monetary drain into someone’s pocket. Therefore, one needs financial support or a backup to cover the increasing medical and other childbirth related expenses as they have become exorbitant these days.
Thus, one requires maternity health insurance plan to cover pregnancy with planning. Some insurance companies do not offer maternity health insurance considering pregnancy as a pre-existing condition. Also, they come with a long waiting period, which may prove to be difficult during emergencies. Maternity insurance should be planned well in advance, ideally before conceiving as these policies have a waiting period for three to four years.
Yet there are many reasons to buy maternity health insurance. Let's explore those reasons.
Still not convinced?
Let’s consider the features and benefits these policies offer. Knowing them, you might change your mind!
Below given are the features of the best maternity health insurance plans in India –
There are many benefits of buying maternity health insurance such as -
Parameters |
Benefits |
All- Comprehensive Coverage |
- coverage for Maternity |
Charges of the Ambulance services |
Coverage of the Ambulance services as a fixed amount or percentage of the sum insured. |
Coverage of the Hospitalization expenses |
- Daily hospital allowance |
Cashless treatment facilities |
At the authorized Network of Hospitals Only |
Benefit of Tax |
Tax exemption of up to Rs 75,000 on payment of annual premium as per Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961 *Tax benefits are subject to change as per the prevailing Income Tax Act |
Payment of Premium |
- Savings on premium |
Prenatal and post-natal expenses |
- Some maternity health insurance policies provide coverage for normal as well as caesarean delivery, including pre and post-natal expenses |
Emergencies |
- Emergency medical evacuation of the insured at foreign locations or in India through air ambulance or flight |
The following are some of the benefits that one should consider while buying maternity health insurance in India:
To Conclude:
Buying maternity health insurance is a couple's decision. However, looking at the recent trend in the rise of medical expenditure and the age of a woman to conceive, there is undoubtedly a need to buy maternity health insurance. With these factors, one has its hands full of uncertainties leading to medical emergencies that need a backup in a form of health insurance with a maternity cover.
Some features and benefits are desirable for buying of these policies like coverage for the deliveries, coverage including a minimum of two deliveries, mother and child care, coverage for vaccinations (which is another costly factor). Also, benefits like inpatient and outpatient hospitalization expenses, domestic and international coverage, and so on make buying a maternity health insurance advantageous.
Also, the condition of the waiting period in a policy motivates the couples to plan the buying of policy and pregnancy well in advance and thus bring joy and happiness to their lives without any financial burden.
As someone has stated, 'When it's right, it's right!" So, any time is just the right time to buy maternity health insurance and start a family.
Ans. Yes, some insurance companies do cover the baby right from the birth of day one until they are 90 days old, on the payment of additional premium from the 91st day. At the same time, some other insurance companies do not provide any coverage for the baby.
Ans. Usually, maternity health insurance policies come with a waiting period of three to six years, or it varies between nine months to six years. Therefore, it implies that one should plan to purchase a maternity health insurance policy well in advance to avail of all the benefits of the policy to avoid the non-availability of benefits during the waiting period.
Ans. The premium payable for a maternity health insurance plan depends on factors like the sum insured opted for, the policyholder's age, the location of the policyholder, etc. It varies between several insurance companies.
Ans. Yes, usually a majority of the maternity health insurance plans cover both the normal as well as a caesarean delivery