Health Insurance Options for Pregnant or Soon-to-Be Pregnant Moms

Congratulations! The little one is on the way, and you’re so curious to see what the gift from God looks like or how much he/she resembles you or your partner. Having a baby is one huge, responsible step, and you’re completing a milestone in life yet again. This time is exciting, new, unique, and, well, filled with anxiety. Anxiety and fear that arises from the unknown and the risks involved in taking this huge step.

Your mind is filled with all that can go wrong, and you’re continuously told by your loved ones to not stress about it as it harms the baby. One sure shot secret to avoid stress as a mom-to-be is to get reliable health insurance that will not only cover you, your health, the costs of your pregnancy, but would also be extendable to protect the little, new member of the family! Hence, we’re doing all of the hard work for you, and we’re shortlisting the top health insurance for new mothers to enjoy each moment of this beautiful journey!

Why Do You Need Health Insurance, Anyway?

Life in itself is a risky affair, but pregnancy increases these risks. You never know what life throws at you next. Therefore, having health insurance is like having a cushion to fall back on you whenever you decide to take the leap of faith that’s called life. Health insurance protects you against the uncertainties of life like a sudden accident or a disease/disorder which you didn’t see coming. Health insurance enables you to live a more carefree and stress-free life and to enjoy the moment. After all, life’s too short to be worrying about medical bills, when you can transfer the worries to the insurance company.

After the age of 35, pregnancy becomes especially risky, not just for the child, but also for the mother. In other words, there is an increased probability of complications in your pregnancy arising due to your age, if you’re over 35 years of age. Thus, it becomes even more critical to minimize your health and financial risk, and adequate health insurance enables you to do that.

Furthermore, adequate health insurance with a comprehensive maternity add-on option also offers coverage to your newborn child for an average period of 90 days or three months. Some of the policies might also cover congenital disorders that the baby might have and the costs of the treatment. Hence, health insurance is an essential tool at this stage.

Things You Should Keep in Mind before Buying Health/Maternity Insurance

The best time to buy maternity insurance was yesterday; the second-best is now.

Remember, the best time to buy maternity insurance is often 3-4 years in advance. Why? This is because these policies usually have a waiting period of 3 or more years. However, if you’re already pregnant, don’t worry, because some policies also offer a lower waiting period of about seven months. One of the best wedding gifts you can give to a couple is a maternity insurance cover, which will help them stabilize their economic condition later in their marital life.

Buy a comprehensive health insurance policy that also has a maternity add-on available.

More and more insurance companies are offering add-on benefits or additional riders if you’re willing to pay extra. Don’t be demotivated by the extra premium. Instead, you must look at the gifts the policy may give you! Make sure that your health policy fits all three stages; pre-pregnancy, actual pregnancy and post-pregnancy. Talk to several agents and find out what sort of benefits each policy offers. There’s no single policy that we can list here that works as a one-size-fits-all for everyone because each one of you is different with different needs and expectations. You must take on the onus to research for yourself and find what suits you best.

Make sure that the health insurance you buy offers a maternity cover if you are planning a baby in the near future. This will save you a lot of headaches arising from trying to hunt down a suitable policy at the last moment!

Find a policy that covers your probable/hereditary pregnancy risks

If you come from a family with a history of maternity complications, you are at risk. So, you should make sure that the policy you’re inclining towards covers these custom range of highly probable risks.

Zero in on a policy that covers your new-born too!

While it may sound like it’s too good to be true, there are some policies out there which will not only cover your pregnancy period but also will provide health insurance for your new-born baby for some time. This time varies according to each policy, ranging from 10 days to 3 months. Many other policies can then offer subsequent health covers too. In this way, your baby will be adequately covered too.

Make sure you also know what your policy does not cover!

Most health insurance policies do not cover the costs of in-vitro fertilization or infertility related expenses. Expenses related to the medical termination of pregnancy are also not included by most insurance policies. However, you might be able to find some exceptions to this. Similarly, most insurance companies are also not ready to cover costs for non-allopathic pregnancy relating to Ayurveda, Homeopathy, etc.

The Top Maternity-Health Options to Choose From

HDFC Ergo Suraksha Gold Health Insurance

This policy is one of the most comprehensive policies available! It covers pregnancy costs after a waiting period of 4 years, day-care costs, AYUSH costs, transport/ ambulance charges, and costs of treatment for babies who are up to 3 months old. After four years, you can yet again cover you, child, within the policy! There is no entry age limit and it is renewable for as long as you live, so, it is best suitable for older parents-to-be and for people who plan long-term! So, this insurance made it to the top of our lists because it covers almost all the pointers that we gave for choosing the perfect policy

Max Bupa Heartbeat Family First Plan

This policy for Max Bupa is genuinely altruistic. The best thing about this policy is that it has one of the broadest entry and exit age limits in the insurance market. You can cover the costs of health for your new-born as soon as they are born and they can be a part of the policy until they are 65. What’s more is that you can renew the policy for as long as you live, and while doing so for more than two years, you can even avail a special, extra discount! This policy doesn’t only cover the costs of two pregnancies but also protects the health of your babies. You can choose between the Silver, Golden and Platinum variants of the policy according to your needs.

Care Joy Insurance Plan

The policy turns out a bit more complicated than others on the list in terms of entry age. For babies, it provides cover for newborns from day 1 to day 90. Then, it gives them cover from the age of 1 day to 24 years and for adults, from 18 years to 65 years of age. Moreover, if you’re below 45, you won’t have to go through the hassles of getting a pre-insurance medical screening. It covers the rent for a single, private air-conditioned room while providing a cover for your baby, along with pre-natal and post-natal expenses. Moreover, you can also claim an amount up to INR 1,000 for ambulance or transportation charges to the hospital.

An important decision for the generations to follow

Life is a long journey that comes with its own strange but enjoyable set of ups and downs. To enjoy each moment to its fullest, you must guard against all sorts of risks possible. After all, protecting your baby is the very essence of parenthood and providing your new-born with insurance fulfills a part of this duty.

By getting insurance, you’re setting the right example for your child to follow in the future by showing them practically what it feels like to provide for your family, to be financially wise, and to minimize risks! Insurance is the first way of achieving this! So, make sure you choose the perfect insurance and plan your baby well in advance so you can provide for the little life the best you can!