Planning a child in 2025? Everything You Need to Know About Maternity Insurance
Pregnancy is a life-altering experience while you await the bundle of joy to fill your hearts and homes. However, many first-time parents are not prepared for the financial preparation needed to enjoy a comfortable pregnancy and parenting experience.
If you are wondering about the related costs, you actually don’t need to. Nowadays, maternity-related costs such as hospitalisation fees and new-born baby expenses are covered under maternity insurance.
What is Maternity Insurance?
As the name suggests, maternity insurance is an insurance cover you can get for a pregnant person. In some cases, the insurance covers up to 90 days of a new-born’s medical expenses and also includes the mother’s stay at the hospital. Many plans such as the Bajaj Allianz health insurance cover an infant’s expenses providing a huge financial relief to parents and guardians.
Why is Maternity Insurance necessary?
We all know costs of medical care has risen in the last few decades, and therefore, even the cost of normal delivery can cost a person at a decent medical centre at least Rs 50,000. If a caesarean or other surgical intervention is required the cost can increase to Rs 1 lakh and more. A medical insurance policy like the Bajaj Allianz health insurance policy can help to cover the costs, and allow mothers to focus on recovering their health and parents to focus on the physical wellbeing of their child.
How to Choose the Right Maternity Insurance?
Like every other medical insurance policy that you take, you need to understand the coverage provided by the policy. Are the tests recommended by the doctors during pregnancy covered? Do you need to take out the policy before you get pregnant or is it ok to take the policy when you are already pregnant?
Let us look at some of these factors in detail:
Hospitalisation expenses associated with pregnancy
In most maternity insurance policies, the cover extends to thirty days leading up to and including the sixty days following the delivery. Make sure you know the details before you invest in a policy.
Are surgical deliveries covered?
Whether a woman has a natural or caesarean delivery depends on her medical condition as determined by her doctor. When taking out a maternity insurance make sure both are covered so that you are not caught unawares by the additional expenses of a surgical delivery.
Coverage for newborns
Health insurance plans may provide coverage for the newborn for the first 90 days. In some cases, the vaccination costs are covered, and you need to get clarity on these before proceeding.
Do not assume that every medical expense you incur is covered by the maternity insurance. Expenses such as cost of infertility treatments and stem cell storage fees may not be covered. While you can trust policies like the Bajaj Allianz Health Insurance Policy, many policies may not cover the cost of prescription drugs and vitamins. Make sure you understand all these before you start paying a premium.
Buying Maternity Health Insurance: Important Things to Think About
When shopping for a health insurance policy to cover maternity costs, remember to look at
- The different policies available in the market. Compare the covers and the premiums – because this will determine what you will get – but we suggest looking at the insurance company also. The most affordable may turn out to be not so helpful when you need it the most.
- One important factor is to look at the claim process. Is it cashless or do you have to make the payment and then collect the amount later? Ask your insurance agent for the details before signing up as this will determine the amount of money you need to carry to the hospital.
- Checkout all the hospitals empanelled with the insurance company. Ensure your doctor is associated with one of the hospitals. In some cases, you may not get the insurance amount if the hospital where you have the delivery is not empanelled with the insurance company.
Make sure you get the right coverage and 24×7 customer care service to help you out when you are becoming parents and you need to focus on your energies on other matters other than hospital bills.
