4 Reasons to Buy Maternity Insurance

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. 

Decoding Maternity Health Insurance Plans 

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.

Reasons to Buy Maternity Health Insurance

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.

• Financial Assistance in Need: The primary motive of a maternity health insurance is the lessen the financial burden on the insured during a childbirth. The policy covers hospitalisation expenses along with other related complications that may arise during delivery.
• Healthcare Costs are Expensive in a Private Hospital: Quality healthacare always comes with a cost and these costs can be skyrocketing in a private hospital. These hospitals charge higher prices for delivery when a caesarean delivery can be of Rs 80,000-Rs 1lakh. A maternity cover can help to mitigate that burden.
• Coverage for Newborn from the Day 1: One of the most alluring feature of these plans is that the new born baby is covered from the very first day. Some policies also cover vaccination charges as well.
• Prepares You for the Best Phase without Worrying: When it comes to planning a family, financial stability is always considered as a barrier. Many deny having a family due to financial strain or consider this as a burden. But with a maternity cover, those expenses can be planned well and the expecting parents can plan a baby without having to worry about their pocket much.

Still not convinced?

Let’s consider the features and benefits these policies offer. Knowing them, you might change your mind!

Features of the Best Health Insurance with Maternity Cover 

Below given are the features of the best maternity health insurance plans in India – 

• Comprehensive Coverage: Maternity health insurance plansshould cover expenses incurred during delivery pre and post hospitalization, ambulance charges, hospital room rent, and the consultation fees of the doctor
• Prenatal and Post-natal Care - The best maternity health insurance plansshould cover not only the mother but also protect her new born in case if the child is diagnosed with a critical illness.
• Coverage Towards Hospitalization– Most of the plans cover the expenses related to pre and post-hospitalization regarding the pregnancy period.
• Facility for Cashless Treatment: Maternity health insurance plans of some of the leading insurance companies offer the cashless facility of treatment throughout the network of hospitals in India.
• NCB Bonus-If there is no claim in a specific year, then the policyholder will get a bonus, which can be availed as an increase in the SI or discount in the policy premium.
• Easy Application and Buying Process- Some of the best maternity health insurance plans in India offer a quick and streamlined application as well as the buying process of maternity health insurance with a convenient online procedure.
• Tax Exemptions- Premiums paid under the maternity health insurance plans are given tax exemptions under section 80 D of the Income Tax Act.
• The Flexibility of Selecting the Sum Insured– Individuals can now choose the sum insured, which they want to avail of at the time of claiming reimbursement, at the time of buying the policy.
• Waiting Period- Maternity health insurance plans usually come with the waiting period of around three to four years. It enables couples to plan for buying the policy. 

Benefits of Buying Maternity Health Insurance

There are many benefits of buying maternity health insurance such as -

Benefits that One Should Consider While Buying a Maternity Plan

The following are some of the benefits that one should consider while buying maternity health insurance in India:

• Coverage of delivery expenses Including normal and caesarean delivery 
• Prenatal as well as post-natal expenditure 
• Coverage for the new born baby right up to the expiry date of the policy including vaccinations 
• Coverage for hospitalization expenses for 30 days before hospitalization and 60 days post hospitalization including room charges, ICU room rent, surgeon fees, anaesthesia charges, charges related to fertility treatment, pregnancy termination charges, etc.
• Coverage of day care expenses for hospitalization of less than 24 hours 
• Coverage of inpatient care hospitalization expenses for less than 24 hours including doctors' fees 
• Cashless treatment facility at a network of authorized hospitals  
• Coverage of emergency ambulance services charges 
• Coverage of domestic or residential hospitalization Expenses 
• Coverage of international evacuation 

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.

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