Maternity Leave Covering Health Insurance

Dealing with pregnancy can be tough for women if there isn’t a reliable health insurance plan. However, getting health insurance for pregnant women doesn’t come with a lot of criticalities. Instead, it is only about selecting the most aligned health insurance plan and adding a specific rider to it. 

Women can top-up an existing insurance policy by adding a maternity rider with some additional premiums. The maternity insurance is capable of covering expenses pertaining to childbirth and post-natal care for both mother and child, irrespective of the delivery type. 

When and How to Avail Maternity Insurance?

If you think of getting maternity insurance, the concept of waiting period must be understood clearly. Firstly, it is essential to note when to purchase or add the maternity insurance rider. Most insurers offer a 3-4 year waiting period after which the maternity cover gets activated. Therefore, an insurer wouldn’t consider the application if the concerned individual is already pregnant. This makes maternity insurance the perfect example of a planned pregnancy. 

If you are looking to avail of the maternity benefit, you must inform the insurance company that your policy includes the maternity cover. Once you are hospitalized for the delivery, raise your maternity claim with your insurer by providing necessary details of your policy and medical case papers.  

Benefits and Features of Maternity Health Insurance 

There are a few plans available that support the addition of maternity riders. What needs to be seen is the waiting period associated with a policy, which usually goes up to 3 or even 6 years for pre-existing pregnancies. However, there is a certain group of health insurance plans with a minimum waiting time of only 9 months. Here the cover may have a few limitations. 

Apart from the waiting period,following are a few benefits that you can avail under a maternity health insurance-

• Coverage for a new-born baby
• Policy tenure of up to 3 years
• Increase in the sum insured as a no claim bonus
• In-patient care 
• Pre and post-hospitalization cover
• Private room with AC and other facilities

When it comes to looking at some of the existing health insurance plans with cover maternity leave, here is the best pick: 

• ManipalCigna Insurance ProHealth Plus Plan

This is a comprehensive health insurance plan alongside aligned maternity leave coverage, new-born delivery charges, and even vaccination covers. With a maximum cover of up to Rs.10 lakhs, the ProHealth Plus is a perfect one, especially when it comes to the Rs.15000 coverage amount for normal and up to Rs.25000 for cesarean cases. However, there is a 4-year waiting period to work with, but the vaccination expenses for the first child are still covered.
 

Inclusions and Exclusions
 

Insurance for pregnant women covers the daily expenses, infant vaccination, ambulance charges, baby cover in case of disorders, and other emergencies amounting up to Rs.50,000. There are a few aspects, like medical costs, dental expenses, and IVF-specific expenses that aren’t included. 

Individuals need to understand that premium rates associated with maternity insurance riders are higher as compared to other policies. However, some of the other factors like involved risks or pregnancy complications, age profile, and employment information, also determine the premium rates.