There is nothing more exciting than adding a new member to your family. However, once you become pregnant, you must also consider your finances as you will have to bear a large number of medical expenses. Thus, Pregnancy Health Insurance becomes an integral part of your planning.
Once you get pregnant, most people assume that you can purchase a policy without any waiting period, but this is not the case. It is essential for you to understand Pregnancy Health Insurance to take control of your finances and not fall into any surprises when you need medical help during your pregnancy.
Policy Hub helps you sort out various maternity health insurance plans from different leading insurance companies so that you make the best possible choice according to your needs and budget.
What Pregnancy Health Insurance Covers
Maternity health insurance is a health plan that provides coverage for expenses incurred due to pregnancy and childbirth, subject to certain policy terms and conditions. It can either be bought as a separate policy or it can be an add-on to your existing health insurance plan or family floater.
Depending upon the insurer and the plan chosen, maternity coverage can offer the following benefits:
• Hospitalization costs for delivery
• Normal and C-section delivery
• Pre-natal consultations and treatments
• Post-natal treatments and care
• Newborn baby coverage
• Doctor’s fees
• Room rent and nursing charges
• Other delivery expenses
Since maternity benefits differ from one insurer to another, it is essential to compare various plans before purchasing a policy.
Why Pregnancy Health Insurance Is Important?
Although maternity benefits differ from one insurance company to another, the broad maternity benefits that most health insurance companies offer are as follows:
1.Hospitalization Expenses It refers to the expenses incurred by the insured during the delivery of the child. It includes room rent, nursing charges, doctor’s consultation fees, and operation theatre charges.
2.Normal and Cesarean Delivery Expenses Most of the health insurance policies provide coverage for expenses arising due to normal delivery and C-section delivery.
3.Pre-Natal Care Expenses It refers to the expenses incurred before the delivery of the child. It includes doctor’s consultation and diagnostic tests, tests, and treatments during pregnancy.
4.Post-Natal Care Expenses After the delivery of the child, the expenses relating to the treatment of the mother are also covered under some maternity benefits.
5.Newborn Baby Expenses Certain health insurance plans also provide limited newborn coverage for the first few days after birth for specific treatments.
It is essential to go through the policy document before buying a maternity insurance plan to know the various benefits provided under the policy.
Features of Pregnancy insurance policies
Pregnancy Health insurance plans offer more than just delivery benefits. The right maternity insurance policy will guide you and support you not only during the delivery but even before and after it. The following are the key features offered by Pregnancy Health insurance plans:
1.Financial protection During pregnancy, there are a number of expenses such as doctor’s consultation, diagnostic tests, medicines, hospitalization, and delivery. Maternity insurance helps you to bear these expenses.
2.Coverage for delivery expenses The insurance coverage for normal delivery and Cesarean section (C-Section) delivery usually depends upon the sum insured and the terms and conditions mentioned in the insurance plan. However, most maternity benefits offer coverage for the expenses arising due to normal delivery and C-section delivery up to the sum insured.
3.Cashless facility Most insurance companies offer cashless hospitalization at their network hospitals for maternity benefits. The cashless facility allows you to get admitted to the hospital without having to pay any amount upfront.
4.Newborn baby cover Many health insurance companies offer separate newborn baby coverage for a certain period after birth.
5.Tax benefits You can claim tax benefits on the premium amount of the eligible health insurance plans under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act.
Features to Consider Before Buying Pregnancy Health Insurance
Pregnancy Health insurance is a specialized form of health insurance that requires careful consideration before purchasing. Here are various features of Pregnancy insurance that should be taken into account before purchasing a maternity insurance policy.
1.Waiting period Maternity benefits generally have a waiting period that ranges from 9 months to 4 years. Therefore, it is essential to purchase a maternity insurance policy well in advance. It is important to compare and contrast the waiting period offered by different Pregnancy Health Insurance policies to choose the most appropriate one.
2.Sum Insured While choosing a maternity insurance plan, it is essential to decide on the sum insured as per the medical inflation rate in your city.
3.Network of hospitals A large network of hospitals allows the policyholder to claim cashless hospitalization during pregnancy and childbirth.
4.Newborn coverage It is necessary to check if the insurance policy offers newborn coverage. The coverage period for newborn babies varies from one insurance company to another.
5.Policy inclusions and exclusions It is crucial to go through the policy details to know what is included and excluded under the insurance plan. In addition, it is also important to check whether any sub-limit is mentioned in the insurance policy for maternity benefits or not.
Why Compare Pregnancy Insurance with Policy Hub?
Comparing Pregnancy Health Insurance options is an important step in selecting the best insurance plan. At Policy Hub, we can help you compare maternity benefits, waiting periods, network of hospitals, coverage options, and various other features of different maternity insurance plans offered by different insurance companies. We can help you understand the fine print of each insurance policy to help you make the right choice. Whether you are buying maternity insurance to plan your pregnancy or you want to make sure that you have enough coverage for an upcoming pregnancy, we can help you choose the best insurance plan according to your needs and preference.