Enroll for the Right Health Insurance & Plan Ahead Before Going on a Maternity Leave

Maternity is a life changing moment for a woman. With the increasing medical costs, child-birth related expenses have become very expensive nowadays. In order to ensure that this little bundle of joy brings a lot of comfort in your life without any pain, it is beneficial for expecting parents to avail maternity cover in their health insurance plan. A maternity cover offered by insurance companies is one modern approach to tackle such costs. It is also offered by companies for their female employees along with their group health insurance policy. Thus, a woman must enroll for the right health insurance policy to be benefitted.

Maternity health insurance is a type of insurance plan designed specially to cover for maternity-related expenses. It is usually offered as an additional rider with your health insurance policy. From hospital stay to your delivery costs, a well-designed maternity insurance plan can ease off the increasing cost so that you can enjoy the happiest moments of your life without any stress.

Why do you need a maternity health plan?

As a responsible parent, one should be prepared for the expenses related to pregnancy and delivery of the baby. With the increasing medical expenses, one has to be prepared for all the expected and unexpected medical emergencies. This is why one must consider a maternity cover in their health insurance plan.

• It covers for maternity expenses: Mostly health insurance policies do not cover maternity costs and therefore, they are of no use when the time approaches for the baby’s delivery.
• It safeguards you against the increasing medical expenses: With the healthcare inflation of about 16%-18% each year, maternity benefit covers you against rising medical costs.

Key features of Maternity health insurance

The salient features of maternity health insurance are listed in the table below –

Benefits of Maternity health insurance

Here’re a few benefits of maternity health insurance:

• Comprehensive coverage: With maternity health insurance, you can cover delivery expenses, hospital stay, and even medicines
• Easy online application: You can apply for a maternity health insurance online from the comfort of your home or office.
• Hassle-free claim settlement process: Claim settlement process is fast for all the network hospitals
• Tax savings: You can save tax under section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
• What’s covered under maternity health insurance?

Here’s a list of things generally covered under maternity insurance

• Pre and post-natal expenses are covered under the policy
• It covers delivery expenses including expenses related to normal and caesarean delivery
• This includes coverage for the new born baby up to the expiry of the policy
• It covers expenses 30 days prior to hospitalization and 60 days’ post hospitalization.

General Exclusions of maternity health insurance

Here’s a list of things generally excluded under a maternity health insurance plan –

• Regular health check ups
• Consultation fees
• Dental treatment expenses
• AIDS treatment related expenses
• Congenital diseases
• Expenses related to drug use or alcohol
• Medicine costs
• Non-allopathic treatment costs
• Pre-existing injuries or ailments that are diagnosed within 48 months of the commencement of the policy.

Important things to know about maternity Benefits

List of things to know about maternity health plan:

• You need to make sure that the maternity benefit covers you against any unforeseen expenses. There are several things that can be a cause of concern when a woman is pregnant. Thus, in such circumstances, it is important for you to know that you have a maternity cover to protect you.
• Hospital charges and nursery charges can be very expensive. For this reason, a maternity benefit in your health insurance plan saves you from the stress of meeting the expenses. Thus, you can choose the best hospital for you and your new born baby at the time of delivery.
• With the huge demand of maternity benefits among youths, the insurance companies have made it a point to include maternity benefits in your health plan. Thus, if you have a health plan, then you must verify whether it provides maternity benefits or not.
• The terms and conditions under each maternity benefit varies from one insurance company to another. Thus, you must check the inclusions and exclusions before choosing your policy.
• One can avail maternity benefits after a waiting period of 3-4 years. Thus, if you buy a maternity cover once you are pregnant, then you will not be able to use its benefits. Therefore, it is advisable to buy a health plan with a maternity benefit in advance. In this way, you will be able to receive the benefits when you are expecting.

What is the right time to seek for a maternity health plan?

Maternity is an important phase of one’s life and one must be prepared for it in advance to embrace parenthood. As lack of planning can burn a hole in your pockets which may override the happiness of becoming a mother. Though insurance companies do not provide maternity cover to women who are already pregnant as customary practice. They do not accept your application if you are already pregnant unless you enter a group insurance policy. So, working women can seek for maternity benefit under group health insurance before going on a maternity leave.

Besides, if you want a suitable maternity coverage to cover child birth and pregnancy related expenses, then go for Royal Sundaram; they offer an effective health insurance plan online.