Maternity Health Insurance Waiting Periods

Starting a family is a wonderful phase of life, but it comes with a lot of responsibilities, both for the mother and the child. While emotional support in these times is critical, the financial support that comes with a health insurance policy cannot be ignored. Adequate coverage can help alleviate any kind of financial burden. A health insurance policy also comes in handy for managing the expensive treatments that may be required. That being said, maternity health covers are policies that include protection for pregnancy and childbirth. However, they come with a waiting period. Here’s all you need to know about the waiting period applicable to maternity health insurance plans.

What is Maternity Health Insurance?

Maternity health insurance plans are policies that offer coverage for pregnancy-related expenses up to a specified limit. This insurance cover helps tackle pre- and post-natal expenses, nursing costs, surgeon fees, doctor’s consultation charges, and even room-rent charges associated with childbirth. Insurance companies make maternity covers available not only with health insurance plans for family but also with group insurance policies offered by organizations. *

What is the Waiting Period for a Health Insurance Plan?

Every policy has a waiting period, generally, 30 days, during which no claim can be made by the policyholder other than accidental death. This period is pre-decided by the insurance company and mentioned in the policy terms. *

How Does the Waiting Period Work in Maternity Health Covers?

Every policy has an initial waiting period, but some plans also have a disease-specific waiting period. The waiting period in maternity covers is one example of a disease-specific waiting period. Here, the policyholders need to buy the maternity cover in advance to ensure that delivery costs are covered after the end of the waiting period. Generally, these plans have a waiting period that ranges between 24 to 48 months. Any insurance claim for pregnancy during such a waiting period is not paid for the simple reason that pregnancy is regarded as a pre-existing condition. Hence, it is advisable to purchase a maternity cover well in advance even before starting a family to cover all possible expenses of childbirth and delivery. * *Standard T&C Apply

Importance of Waiting Period in Maternity Health Insurance Plans

1. With a maternity cover, young couples who wish to start planning for a family can enjoy their life without having to worry about pregnancy-related expenses.
2. Life goals may involve wealth creation as a major objective and saving up for maternity-related costs can be an additional burden. A maternity cover eases this burden and one can focus on meeting their financial goals otherwise, without having to worry about treatment costs.
3. With the waiting period, couples that aren’t ready immediately to start a family can have ample time to plan for the future while the policy alleviates financial burden.

*Standard T&C Apply

Is it Possible to Lower the Waiting Period in Maternity Plans?

Some insurance companies may allow a reduction of the maternity period but charge an additional premium. Group insurance plans issued by corporates do not require any waiting period.

Conclusion

A maternity plan cannot be purchased whilst pregnant, whereas buying in advance helps plan for the future adequately. When buying a plan, make sure to understand what is health insurance, the events covered by it, and also the coverage it offers before finalizing any insurance policy. *Standard T&C Apply Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms and conditions, please read the sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.