A healthy pregnancy should be the focus of every woman who is planning for motherhood. That should involve having a well-balanced diet, engaging in moderate exercises, and going for regular medical check-ups. It is also the time when a family should plan for the rise in medical expenses. Investing in health insurance with maternity cover can save the family from facing any financial hardships during this most crucial phase of a woman’s life.
Insurers like Care Health Insurance offer maternity cover insurance, an insurance plandesigned to cover various maternity-specific expenses, including hospitalization, day care treatment, ambulance, prenatal and postnatal care, and new-born baby cover.
It is essential to understand the benefits a maternity health coveroffers so that you can make the most of this health cover and safeguard your finances entirely. Read on to know how to get the maximum maternity coverage.
- Opt for Maternity Insurance Early
Firstly, when you opt for health insurance with maternity cover, you should know that there is a waiting period applicable. Some health plans offer maternity benefits after a waiting period of around three years. Some plans have a lower waiting period of 9 months or 24 months. So, when reviewing a policy, get a glance at the initial waiting period and the waiting period for pre-existing illnesses and specified ailments. Select the one with a lower waiting period.
The earlier you get the policy, it will ensure the early completion of the waiting period. Hence, it is only logical that if you get a plan now, you will receive the coverage at the right time without bearing the hospital expenses from your pocket.
- Compare Various Policies
Before selecting a maternity cover insurance plan, make sure you have thoroughly checked and reviewed various other plans that offer maternity benefits. Comparing helps you to know if you are getting maximum benefits. For instance, many maternity plans cover modern daycare treatments and other advanced medical procedures, among other policy benefits. Comparing also enables you to see if you are spending reasonably on the premium and not excessively. Use the online premium calculator to estimate the premium and get the maximum and affordable coverage.
Know the Exclusions
The exclusions are expenses for which you will not be eligible to get a claim. The permanent exclusions in maternity plans include non-allopathic treatments, any congenital disease, self-inflicted injuries, medical expenses related to alcohol or drug use/abuse, etc. Further, there are temporary exclusions like diseases that were contracted during the initial 30 days. Understanding the policy exclusions will enable you to know if you will get maximum coverage with the maternity cover or not. It is possible if you select a policy that has minimum exclusions.
Review the Policy Benefits
To ensure that you are getting the maximum cover, you must find out if the maternity cover insurance plan offers these benefits:
- In-patient care, including ICU charges, doctor’s fee, and room charges
- Pre-and-post hospitalization medical expenses
- Day care treatment procedures
- Ambulance cover
- New-born baby cover
When choosing a maternity cover, make sure it covers prenatal and postnatal care. Ideally, the policy should cover incurred medical expenses like diagnostic tests, consultation, & medication for 30-days prior to hospitalization and up to 60-days period after hospitalization. Similarly, check the new-born baby cover feature. The best maternity plans cover a new-born baby for 90 days. Additionally, such plans would also cover birth-defects and help secure the baby’s health.
- Look for the Cashless Treatment Feature
Your insurer will pay for the medical expenses directly to the hospital in the cashless feature, so you need not make any payment. All one needs to do is to identify the nearest network hospital and get admission there through a health card. When buying maternity cover insurance, take a look at the list of network hospitals. If the insurer has the maximum number of network hospitals, your chances of finding a network hospital near your area are more. Thus, with a maternity plan, one can rest assured that there will be no delay in accessing medical care.
- Opt for Floater Option
With a floater option, you are saved from the hassle of managing multiple individual health plans for your family. In this option, you and your family members, like spouse, children, and parents, can get insured for a single floating sum insured. It is advantageous as each member can utilize the sum insured up to the maximum extent without restrictions. Not only that, you pay a single premium that is much affordable than the individual health plans. Additionally, you also save a lot as there are discounts to choose from, like premium discounts on multi-year policies.
- Note the Sub-limits in the Policy
Before you go ahead and finalize health insurance with maternity cover, take a close look at the policy sub-limits. Generally, health plans have a cap on the claim amount for specific treatments or expenses like delivery expenses. Sub-limits can either be a per cent of the chosen sum insured or a definite amount as defined by the insurer. Make sure you keep this point in mind when evaluating your options. It is advisable to select a policy that does not burden you in any way and eliminates the need to spend a lot from your savings.
- Look for Optional Benefits
Some health insurance plans with maternity cover come with optional benefits like a no-claim bonus that gives the policyholder increase in the sum insured by a specified per cent for each claim-free year. The accumulated bonus will provide a comfortable financial cushion for your future medical expenses, thus maximizing your coverage.
Conclusion
Find the best maternity cover insurance plans that provide comprehensive coverage for your maternity-related expenses. Remember the points discussed in this article and select a policy that covers your maternity period in the best way possible, ensuring financial stability and enabling you to make a healthy start to parenthood.