Motherhood is one of the greatest gifts of life. When we bring a baby into this world, we surely expect to give the child all our love, care, and attention. But it starts before that- pregnancy also requires you to take care of ourselves and the growing baby inside. That’s where maternity benefits can help you.
What is maternity cover in health insurance?
Maternity cover in health insurance assists with the healthcare and medical expenses related to pregnancy and birth. This provision is designed to bear childbirth expenses and takes care of both the mother and the newborn baby. Moreover, a maternity cover is also available in cashless health insurance plans.
Why do you need maternity cover?
Due to medical inflation, these costs have gone up significantly, and so, bringing new life into the world can also become a financial burden if you don’t opt for this coverage. Just availing a general health insurance will not cover these costs. Any standard delivery or cesarean procedure can cost you anywhere between ₹ 60,000 to ₹ 2,00,000 and during this time, financial stress should be the last thing you need to worry about. This is the reason you need maternity cover.
What benefits are provided under Maternity benefits in Health insurance?
These are the benefits covered under maternity coverage with your health insurance in India:
- Pre and post-natal healthcare: If a woman is pregnant, she needs lots of doctor visits and health check-ups. Furthermore, these doctor visits and medicines are still required once she has the baby. So maternity cover takes care of all these medical expenses starting from 30 days before the due date up to 30-60 days after delivery.
- Cover for delivery: Whether you choose to go through natural childbirth or a caesarean procedure, it still costs a lot of money because there are hospital equipment and medical experts involved. Maternity cover will provide these expenses.
- Cover for newborn baby: In a worse scenario if the newborn child has certain congenital defects or any other health complications, then some maternity health plans cover these costs for newborn treatment up to 90 days from the day of birth.
- Vaccination coverage: Many insurance plans also provide mandatory vaccination cover under maternity benefits. They cover the immunization expenses for the 1st year of birth, vaccinations for polio, measles, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis, diphtheria, and more.
These are the benefits offered under the maternity cover. It is crucial to buy maternity cover well in advance because the waiting period for health insurance with maternity benefits can range from 2 years to 4 years. In case you are late, you can still buy one, but you might have to pay a higher premium. This coverage option is available as standalone as well as an add-on with a family health insurance plan. You can claim the maternity benefits till you are aged 45 years old, however, check with your insurance provider for their specific regulations. So therefore, plan ahead to secure the health of both the expectant mother and the newborn child.