A health insurance policy is a necessity. A Mediclaim policy can provide you and your family with financial backup during medical emergencies. Investing in robust family health insurance plans can cover medical expenses for you and your dependent members in several forms. Maternity or the journey of pregnancy is a crucial phase of life. A to-be parent needs to prepare in advance to manage the responsibility of the new life smoothly. Investing in a well-designed maternity insurance plan can provide financial backup to meet the medical test and hospital requirements through delivery.
Add-on option
One of the good things is that top-rated insurance companies may enable maternity health insurance as an add-on cover in your existing family health insurance plan. You can expect such a policy to cover all your maternity-related expenses. So, if you already have a health insurance policy or are planning to buy one, you can check out the possibility of including this benefit for yourself or your spouse. It can help you avail of the maternity expenses covered towards the delivery of your baby, along with any other pregnancy-related complications or medical treatment. It can also cover costs related to medically necessary pregnancy termination.
Some comprehensive plans also compensate for expenses that arise from fertility issues. Due to medical complications, you can also rely on viable family health insurance plans with maternity benefits to cover the newborn’s hospitalisation. You can also avail of the basic vaccinations that your neonate is entitled to for the first 90 days from delivery under such a medical policy.
Covering optimum expenses
With medical expenses on the rise, the cost of delivering a baby has also seen an upsurge. Be it a normal delivery or C-section delivery, admission into a good hospital can cost you much, especially if you have to pay out of pocket. Also, C-section deliveries may call for more expenses as it would include the operation cost and the relatively long duration of hospitalisation.
A dependable family health insurance plan with maternity benefits can cover the following expenses:
– Hospitalisation charges towards hospitalisation and room rent charges during delivery of your baby
– All expenses arising from pregnancy-related complications, including labour and other delivery costs up to two deliveries.
– Neonate’s medical expenses up to the first 90 days, including medical issues.
– Infertility expenses that cover respective infertility related treatments taken for you or your spouse.
– Medically necessary pregnancy termination. Popular policies don’t limit the number of terminations in a pregnancy, although there is a limit of two for the number of deliveries.
– Most medical insurance policies also provide an additional percentage of the insured sum for the second child if the same insurer’s policy is used for the first child.
Aspects not covered in maternity Health Insurance policies
While top-rated insurance companies cover maximum expenses to offer maternity benefits in their family medical insurance , some costs may not be covered. The list of benefits may vary across policies. It is best to check all the terms and conditions of the policy before buying it.
Many insurance companies may not cover expenses arising due to harvesting and storage of stem cells when it is carried out as a preventive measure against possible future ailments. Also, any medical payments for ectopic pregnancy will be covered outside the maternity benefit cover and can be claimed only under the hospitalisation expenses cover of the individual health insurance policy. Moreover, the insurance company may not cover pre-natal or post-natal medical expenses unless they lead to hospitalisation.
Filing a Claim
A reputed insurer ensures that claiming insurance is smooth and hassle-free. Most top-rated health insurance policy providers extend a user-friendly online interface for their clients. You can opt for a process that suits you, from cash claims to reimbursement claims.
Well-known insurers offer cashless claims at a large network of hospitals. You can check with your provider for the complete list of hospitals with maternity facilities. All you may need to do is display your e-health card to the specific hospital and ask for a cashless request form. Once you complete the formalities, the claim will be processed immediately.
If you seek a reimbursement claim from a hospital of your choice, you might need to inform your agency within 48 hours of admission. Subsequently, you will have to submit all your hospital bills and relevant documents to your insurer to process the reimbursement.
Who can benefit from a maternity Insurance plan?
You will be entitled to the benefits if you invest in a maternity benefit plan as an add-on under the health insurance plan. If you have completed the waiting period mentioned under your plan, you will be eligible to claim the benefit from the maternity cover. Typically, the waiting period is 24 months. Those who haven’t used the cover for more than two children already are entitled to its benefits. Also, some conditions of entitlement include your marital status and being less than 40 years of age.
Why should you invest in a Health Policy that covers the maternity period?
Investing in a maternity policy offers financial security during the onset of parenthood. It ensures a stress-free delivery along with certain health care benefits to your newborn so that you can enjoy the new journey in peace. Cover for lawful medical terminations and valuable long term benefits such as an additional sum on the second pregnancy are a few benefits that can come in handy.
