How Health Insurance Covers Pre and Post-Natal Expenses

In maternity insurance, pre and post-natal expenses are the medical costs related to pregnancy before and after childbirth. Here are the expenses you can expect coverage for under maternity health insurance:

Pre-Hospitalisation Expenses

These expenses are incurred prior to childbirth. They include health consultations, blood tests, urine tests, ultrasounds, medicines, etc. Most maternity policies cover pre-natal expenses up to 30 days before hospitalisation.

Hospitalisation Expenses

These are expenses incurred during hospitalisation for delivery. They cover expenses such as room rent, anaesthesia charges, nursing and doctor fees, operation charges, and prescribed medicines. Typically, your insurance provider will cover both normal and C-section deliveries.

Post-Hospitalisation Expenses

These are healthcare expenses after delivery. They include follow-up consultations, tests, and medicines. These expenses are generally covered for up to 60 days after hospitalisation.

New-Born Baby Expenses

Once you bring your bundle of joy into the world, you will need to take care of the baby and ensure proper treatment. This includes vaccinations, immunisations, congenital disability treatment, etc. Insurance companies will incur these expenses for up to 90 days following childbirth.

Here is how health insurance for pre and post-natal expenses helps you and your to-be-born baby.

• Reduces financial strain, giving you time to focus on your and your baby’s health during and after pregnancy.

• With an adequate health insurance plan, you can rest assured you will get the best medical care in a reliable hospital.

• Medical insurance with maternity cover protects you against any complications or emergencies related to childbirth.

• It protects your newborn baby and allows it to get the best medical care after birth, including vaccinations and check-ups, etc.

Maternity insurance is an add-on that you can purchase with your health insurance plan or buy as stand-alone insurance. It covers the expenses related to pregnancy and childbirth up to a specific amount or limit.

In India, maternity health insurance has a waiting period during which you cannot make a claim or receive coverage for a claim. The waiting period usually ranges from 9 months to 6 years, depending on the chosen plan and plan provider.

Thus, it is advised to buy health insurance for pre and post-natal expenses a few years before you plan to start your family.

Also Read: 5 Things To Know About Maternity Insurance in India

Inform Your Insurance Provider

Once you have conceived, you will need to inform your insurance provider.

Get Pre-Authorisation

You must get approval from your insurance provider prior to seeking medical therapy. You will need to fill out a claim form and submit all the supporting materials, such as any invoices/hospital bills/receipts and doctor's notes about your maternity treatment.

Get the Necessary Medical Care

Once the pre-approval has been accepted, you can acquire the necessary care and save all the receipts, invoices, and doctor’s notes concerning your treatment.

Raise a Claim

When raising a claim, you will have to fill out the claim settlement form and submit all the supporting documents that you have collected during the treatment procedure.

Wait for Processing

Once you submit the claim, your insurance provider will authenticate the claim and verify whether the expenses are covered under your policy.

Get the Reimbursement

If the claim is granted, your insurance provider will ensure that pre- and post-natal expenses are covered within maternity limits. Any out-of-pocket pregnancy expenses in India must be cleared upfront before reimbursement is received.

Primarily, check for the coverage amount of the health insurance plan. It must be adequate to cover the pre and post-natal expenses.

Check the waiting period before choosing maternity health insurance. Always choose insurance with a shorter waiting period so that you can receive coverage benefits as soon as possible.

Make sure to check if the plan has any sublimits caps on certain pregnancy-related expenses or procedures. Confirming this will help you avoid any rejection or inconvenience during pregnancy.

Check the list of policy inclusions and exclusions to ensure comprehensive coverage. Also, check the policy documents to see if insurance covers any pregnancy expenses you might need.

Compare the premium prices of multiple maternity plans and choose the one that provides an affordable premium and adequate coverage.

Also Read: Waiting Period in Maternity Health Insurance

With rising healthcare inflation, having a health insurance policy becomes crucial for everyone. However, if you are planning to start a family, then medical insurance with pre and post-natal expenses coverage is indispensable. It ensures that you and your baby get the necessary medical care during such a sensitive period.

The TATA AIG health insurance plan provides you with maternity and newborn cover, as well as numerous benefits like cashless hospitalisation, affordable premiums, customised coverage and more. Moreover, we offer the best health insurance policy in terms of hassle-free claim settlement and round-the-clock services when needed.

Also Read: Maternity Cover in Group Health Insurance

What documents are needed to make a maternity health insurance claim?

You can raise a claim for maternity benefits by submitting the following documents.

• Medical reports

• Hospital bills

• Pre and post-natal care invoices

• Maternity certificate from doctor confirming pregnancy

What postpartum items are covered by insurance?

Postpartum expenses for health insurance include vaccination, medicines, ventilator care, and health check-ups.

Why is maternity not covered by insurance?

Maternity cover might not provide health coverage for pre-existing conditions. Thus, it is crucial to confirm with your insurance provider to know if they provide pre-existing condition coverage or not.

Is there a waiting period for coverage in health insurance?

Yes, normally, there is a waiting period on health insurance. You can only get medical insurance coverage after this waiting period is over. The period can be from 1 year to 4 years.

Does insurance cover pregnancy expenses?

Yes, if you choose the maternity cover in your health insurance, then you can claim for pregnancy-related expenses.