It’s always an exciting moment when you know about the maternity of your wife. You must want to give her the best care. However, for a middle-class family, it becomes quite difficult to meet the Maternity expenses. Owing to high rising health care costs, it is advisable for a married couple to have health insurance that provides maternity cover as well.
A maternity insurance plan provides cover for expenses incurred during the delivery of the child. Most of the health plans providing maternity insurance cover for both normal and cesarean delivery are available with sub-limits.
In this article, we are providing details for the best health insurance plans providing maternity coverage.
| Niva Bupa Heartbeat (Silver plan & Gold plan)* | Care Joy Today | ManipalCigna ProHealth Insurance Plus Plan | HDFC ERGO Health Maxima Health $ | |
| Entry Age (Minimum & Maximum) | No Limit | . Adult: 18 years, Child: 1 Day (minimum) . Adult: 45 years, Child: 24 years (maximum) | . Adult: 18 years, Child: 91 days (minimum) . No maximum age | . 91 days onwards (minimum) . No maximum age |
| Maternity Expenses | . Covered up to Rs 35,000 per Policy Year (Silver plan) . Covered up to Rs 50,000 per Policy Year (Gold plan) | . For SI: Rs 3 Lacs . Covered up to Rs 35,000 (Including pre-natal & post-natal expenses) | Coverage up to Rs. 15,000 for normal delivery and Rs. 25,000 for a C-section | . Normal delivery- Rs 15,000; Caesarean delivery- Rs 25,000 . (Including Pre/Post Natal limit of Rs 1,500 and infant baby limit of Rs 2,000) |
| Newborn baby cover | Covered up to the Sum Insured | For SI: Rs 3 Lacs . Covered Up to Rs 30,000 . (From 1 to 90 days of baby’s age)Newborn birth defects are covered up to Rs 50,000 (lump sum) | Optional Coverage from 1 to 90days of baby’s age | Optional cover for newborns from 1 to 90 days of age |
| Vaccination Expenses | Covered until newborn baby completes one-year vaccinations (as specified in the policy document) | As per the national immunization program over and above Maternity Expenses | 1st-year vaccination expenses | Not Covered |
| Waiting period | 24 months of continuous coverage | 9 months for maternity | 48 months of continuous coverage | Not Applicable |
| Policy Period | 1 & 2 years | 3 years | 1 & 2 years | 1 year |
| Pre & Post Natal Expenses | Not covered | Yes | Not covered | Yes |
* Coverage available up to 2 pregnancies or terminations. This coverage is not available under an individual policy.
$ Maternity expenses are covered up to 2 deliveries or terminations during the entire policy term.
What to Look for while Buying a Maternity Cover
Before buying a maternity insurance cover, it is essential to look at several key aspects.
Waiting Period: Most of these health plans cover maternity expenses after a continuous coverage of 2 to 4 years. Niva Bupa Heartbeat plan provides maternity cover after a waiting period of 24 months. It is hereby, advisable to purchase these plans just after your marriage, so you can take advantage of the maternity cover available under the plan. Moreover, don’t ever forget to read the policy terms regarding the exact waiting period applicable under the plan, you are going to opt for.
The extent of Coverage: Maternity health insurance provides cover for both the normal and cesarean delivery expenses. It also covers pre-natal & post-natal expenses, post-birth care, and vaccination expenses. It is quite difficult to get all the benefits under a single health plan and you are thus, recommended to read through the coverage available under a maternity insurance plan. Care Joy Today is a comprehensive plan providing maternity cover with pre & post-natal expenses. It also provides newborn baby cover along with vaccination expenses.
Sum Insured: When buying a maternity insurance policy, it is quite imperative to look upon the sum insured applicable under the maternity cover. You need to ensure that the coverage you are getting would be enough to meet your maternity expenses. Getting maternity cover with a sum insured of 3 to 5 Lacs would be able to meet the delivery charges, any complications arising out of it, pre & postnatal expenses, etc. HDFC ERGO Health Maxima Health is providing maternity cover with the sum insured of 3 Lacs.
Exclusions: Read the policy exclusions related to pregnancy, as some policies do not cover post-pregnancy expenses. HDFC ERGO Health Maxima Health is providing cover for post-natal expenses.
Conclusion
It would be great if you have a family floater health plan providing cover for maternity expenses. This way, it does not only provide cover for your family’s health care expenses, but it also covers maternity expenses. When you are looking to buy maternity health insurance, it is recommended to look upon a policy that provides complete cover for all maternity-related expenses such as delivery charges, pre & post-natal expenses, post-birth care, and vaccination expenses.