Are you planning to have a baby? Congratulations! In many ways, this is akin to unlocking the next level in a game. But life isn’t a game, and pregnancy and childbirth aren’t things to be taken lightly. In a world where uncertainty is the reality, all we can do is reduce the uncertainty to the best of our ability. So what can you do instead? A safety net would be nice, and we can only offer you maternity health insurance.

What Is Maternity Insurance?

Maternity insurance is a type of health insurance specifically designed to cover expenses related to pregnancy and childbirth. It's a crucial financial safety net for expecting mothers, providing a sense of relief and peace of mind. The costs associated with pregnancy, delivery, and newborn care can be substantial, but with maternity insurance, you can navigate these expenses with confidence. Pregnancy is one of the significant life experiences that people look back on, and you want it to go as well as expected. Maternity insurance makes this a reality.

Of course, nobody wants to think about complications during pregnancy, but it's an unfortunate reality. It needs to be considered. There are generally various premium price points. However, getting a policy with sufficient coverage is advisable to ensure you are protected against any eventualities.

It's also generally advisable to buy maternity insurance before getting pregnant. Many policies have a waiting period before maternity benefits kick in. If you approach insurance companies after getting pregnant, they often consider it to fall under the “pre-existing conditions” category and exclude it from the policy. So, buying it early ensures you're covered when you need it, and it's a proactive step towards a prepared and secure future.

Here are some everyday things that the best maternity health insurance policies cover:

• Prenatal care: doctor's visits, tests, ultrasounds, and other related expenses.
• Delivery expenses include hospital charges, doctor's fees, and anaesthesia for both normal and C-section deliveries.
• Post-natal care: mother's hospitalisation, medication, and recovery expenses.
• Newborn baby care: coverage for the newborn's initial health checkups and vaccination expenses.
• Global coverage: There are also maternity insurance policies that provide international coverage. If you need to deliver the baby outside India due to an unforeseen circumstance, you can be covered.

Why Do You Need Maternity Insurance?

There are various reasons why you need it; here are a few for you to consider:

• High costs: Pregnancy, delivery, and postnatal care can be extremely expensive. This includes hospital stays, doctor's fees, medication, and newborn care.
• Unexpected expenses: Complications during pregnancy or childbirth may not be something you like to consider. But they can lead to unforeseen costs. Maternity insurance helps you be prepared for unexpected expenses that may come your way.
• Peace of mind: Knowing your covered expenses can reduce financial stress during a joyful but demanding time.
• Tax benefits: Under the Income Tax Act, maternity insurance premiums can be eligible for tax deductions under Section 80.
• Customised maternity plans: If you have individual requirements that you would like tailored to your needs, you can choose those in your maternity policy.

Importance of Maternity Insurance

There is risk associated with almost everything in life. You can choose to invest in your risk appetite. But in life, specifically maternity, you don’t have that choice. When you decide to have a child, you must safeguard the process to the best of your ability. Insurance for pregnancy helps protect you against known and unknown challenges. It makes an already arduous process smoother. Most maternity insurance policies give you coverage for up to 2 pregnancies, so check if that is a part of your plan. It helps ensure that you can focus on the pregnancy and the prospect of motherhood rather than the potential challenges, including unforeseen financial expenditure.

Inclusions of Maternity Insurance Plans

If you are wondering how to choose a health insurance plan for pregnancy, here are things you may want to see included in your policy:

• Routine or Elective Caesarean: It covers whichever of the two options you may choose to bring your baby into the world, whether you opt for a natural birth or a cesarean section.
• Ambulance Charges: If you need an ambulance in an emergency, it is a good idea to ensure this is included in your policy.
• Complicated Pregnancy: Covers medical expenses arising during pregnancy or childbirth. These can require obstetric procedures and postnatal check-ups up to 6 weeks after birth. In case the complications get worse and it becomes medically necessary to terminate the foetus, some policies also cover that in up to 2 instances.
• Pre & Postnatal Care: This covers up to 6 weeks' costs, prescribed prenatal vitamins, and associated delivery costs.
• New Born Cover: Covers medical expenses towards treatment of the newborn until discharge or the number of days specified.
• Maternity Assistance and Midwife Charges, as applicable
• Birthing classes charge if you would like to go in for them.
• Online application process: You should be able to buy your policy online and have the process ideally fulfilled paperlessly in case of any claims. The best maternity insurance companies tend to allow this option.
• No claim bonus: You can benefit from the cumulative no claim bonus in the years considered ‘claim-free’.

Many of the components of the list above are included in the policy or can be included as potential add-ons. So, you can customise your policy to meet your requirements by choosing some or all of the components above.

What May Not Be Covered in Maternity Insurance

These are some of the things that are generally considered ‘exclusions’ for maternity insurance:

• Any expenses that arise before the waiting period is over
• Pre-existing diseases affecting pregnancy
• Sterility and fertility treatments, if any
• Cosmetic procedures involved, if any

Things To Consider

• Waiting period: The time you need to wait before claiming maternity benefits. This can differ from policy to policy, from 9 months to 6 years. Getting this policy before you get pregnant is advisable to ensure that you are adequately covered for the duration of your pregnancy.
• Sum insured: The maximum amount covered by the policy.
• Coverage for pre-existing diseases: Some policies may exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing diseases refer to diseases a person may have had before taking the policy, including significant illnesses. Generally, not many pregnancy-related factors may be considered pre-existing illnesses, specifically, if this is your first pregnancy. But if you have any other underlying health issues that could be regarded as that, then you need to consider that as a factor for your policy.
• Network hospitals: Check if your preferred hospitals are in the insurer's network. Maternity doesn’t always follow the prescribed timelines. If a delivery has to be done suddenly, you may have a preferred hospital close to your stay. Ensuring that they are in the network of hospitals for your policy is a good practice. A cashless facility in this hospital would be an additional factor that could simplify this.
• Eligibility criteria for age: There can be an agelimit for the maximum age covered under this policy. This can be a concern if you are an older person looking to get covered by this policy.
• Add-on covers: Not all maternity insurance policies are the same. Some policies offer additional covers like maternity complications, birthing classes, newborn baby care, and paternity benefits. Choose the add-ons that work best for your needs.

Documents Required To Raise a Maternity Insurance Claim:

Some of these documents can include:

• Discharge summary
• Duly filled out insurance claim forms
• Original hospital bills
• Doctor consultation bills
• Policy documents
• KYC documents
• Passport-size photos

Choose Manipal Cigna Health Insurance for Your Maternity Insurance

Maternity insurance ensures that you can focus on your health and your baby's well-being without worrying about the financial burden. You can choose Manipal Cigna Health Insurance for maternity health insurance. Manipal Cigna Health Insurance gives you various options in their ProHealth category to ensure that you select the perfect combination for the latest addition to your life. You can choose their ProHealth Plus, ProHealth Preferred, or ProHealth Premier, per your budget and specific add-on requirements for optimal coverage. You can add a ‘reduction in maternity waiting’ or the time after you are covered for maternity, maternity expenses as per your desired coverage, and many more choices. Your baby deserves the best, so choose the best maternity insurance.