Things to know while Buying Health Insurance for Pregnancy

Parenthood can be stressful, considering all the changes and challenges it brings to the table. This is why expecting parents try and enjoy the pregnancy period as much as possible while getting prepared for the upcoming mountain of work. But pregnancies can have their challenges cut out for them as well. This is why we have maternity insurance plans available. Designed to lighten the financial burden of pregnancies, maternity plans are essential to have for all expecting parents in the UAE or anywhere else. But certain mistakes are often made and certain important things get ignored when it is your first time choosing medical insurance in the UAE for pregnancies. This piece will focus on shining some light on the importance of maternity plans, the aspects you need to consider when buying one and, the mistakes to avoid.

Importance of Maternity Health Insurance Cover

Your pregnancy and the time that surrounds it is going to be one of the most magical yet critical times of your life. Carelessness can lead to several kinds of discomfort for you as well as your baby. This is why maternity insurance is a must for taking care of your and your baby’s needs. While most pregnancies go smoothly, a complication can arise announced. Your maternity insurance will make sure that you are ideally protected in such cases and the financial burden doesn’t put a damper on your celebrations. Even when complications do not arise, pregnancy and the immediate period that follows it brings in a lot of expenses. From consultations to delivery and infant care, everything is covered by maternity insurance plans. It is a wonderful financial support for pregnancies, regular or complicated, as well as the initial newborn care for your baby.

Vital Aspects of Maternity Coverage to Keep an Eye Out For

Now that we have established the long-standing importance of maternity covers, it’s time to make sure that you know all the important aspects of a maternity cover to focus on. Given below is a list of all the small and big things about maternity covers that you should consider when buying one:

The Sum Assured

Getting a cost-effective health insurance plan is a priority for all, sure. Covers with lower assured sums will cost less as a result. However, this does not mean you should solely focus on getting a plan with a low assured sum. While maternity covers with low assured sum and lower premiums are attractive, they may not cover every benefit you may need during your pregnancy. Even if most benefits are covered, the coverage sum will be very low. This will simply lead you to spend money out of your own pocket which negates the purpose of buying an insurance cover. Instead, focus on making a legitimate budget for the insurance premium of your maternity cover. Then search for a plan that falls in line with your budget and also offers a good assured sum to cover all services and benefits.

Maternity Cover Inclusions

Maternity cover comes with several different benefits and inclusions. There are a few that you should keep an eye for and see that your plan has at least these in it. This includes pre and post-hospitalization cover for 30 and 60 days, hospitalization cover, pre, and post-natal benefits, delivery complications and cesarean delivery expenses as well. Pharmaceutical costs, room rent waiver, surgery fees, and consultation is also covered by maternity insurance plans. Other important benefits you can look forward to are, the newborn baby cover, and lab tests during pregnancy.

Maternity Insurance Plans as Add-Ons

Many health insurance plans offer maternity plans as a basic benefit while others include it in the list as an add-on. It seems convenient to buy a health insurance plan with an option to buy a maternity rider later. In reality, these plans end up being very expensive and less cost-effective than others. It may be better to opt for a plan that provides a maternity plan as a basic benefit. Their list of benefits is a lot more comprehensive and comes to be more cost-effective overall as compared to the riders. The only thing to take care of here is the waiting period. Health insurance policies with maternity plans as a basic benefit come with a waiting period that has to be completed before you can start using the maternity benefits.

The Waiting Period

Many health insurance benefits often accompany a waiting period. This means that you have to stay on the said health insurance plan for a certain period before you can avail of the benefit with the waiting period. A maternity insurance plan is one such benefit. Most health insurance plans that include maternity plans as a basic benefit have a waiting period attached to them. It can range anywhere between 6 months to 2 years. More comprehensive plans have a smaller waiting period while the lesser, inexpensive ones have a longer period. This means that you can wait for the very last moment to get your maternity plan. The ideal thing to do here is taking a maternity insurance plan when you are about to start a family. Planning around the waiting period is a must when maternity benefits are concerned.

Infant Health Insurance Cover

Also known as a newborn cover, maternity insurance plans come with an added extension with benefits specially made for your baby. Infant care health insurance is a must for everyone. It comes in very handy in cases of complicated deliveries or premature birth. The extension can range anywhere from 30 days to 90 days depending on the providers. If the baby is born with congenital conditions, the newborn baby cover will take care of the initial expenses here.

The Premium of Maternity Covers

Last but not the least, the premium of the plan is another thing you must keep an eye out for. It is easy to get swayed at the moment and buy an expensive healthcare insurance plan or an even more expensive rider. If you are going for a rider, buy it when the time comes and plan ahead. For health insurance plans with maternity insurance, align your timing and buy it beforehand to get through the waiting period before your pregnancy. Compare the health insurance plans you have chosen as the top options to find the best health insurance for pregnancy with a low premium.

Some Mistakes to Avoid

Incomplete information will lead you to make mistakes when you are out buying one of the most important health coverages of your life. Here is a list of top mistakes for you to sideline when you are buying maternity insurance plans in the UAE:

• Waiting for the Last Moment: Since we have discussed the aspect of the waiting period attached to maternity plans, it becomes evident that waiting for the very last moment to buy your maternity insurance plan is not a good idea. Instead, you must buy your plan well in advance so that both the waiting period and the clause of pre-existing conditions is satisfied. If you buy your maternity insurance plan after getting pregnant, you will not be covered since it becomes a pre-existing condition at this point.
• Opting for Low Assured Sum: Maternity insurance plans with lower assured sums will have lower premiums as well which, in all honesty, is very attractive. But choosing a lower assured sum to get a low premium will end up being a nuisance in the end. Instead, focus on choosing a plan that is both cost-effective and offers great coverage too.
• Not Revealing Medical History: Pre-existing conditions may make your pregnancy difficult and give room for complications. Having a pre-existing condition can raise the premium of your maternity insurance plan. But this does not mean that you should hide your medical history from your insurance provider. Complicated pregnancies are one of the top things covered by maternity insurance plans. This means that there is no reason whatsoever to hide your medical history from the provider. If you hide medical history from the provider, you are at the risk of having your claims rejected since medical history can be extracted on the investigation. It is best to pay a little high premium and get all claims approved.
• Not Comparing Options: Not having enough options is not the case when it comes to maternity insurance plans in the UAE. As wonderful as it is to have multiple options at your altar, it often becomes confusing to choose the right plan. To avoid falling for fraudulent schemes and get the best health insurance for pregnancy, compare your options. Also, look for providers with good customer reviews and find something that fulfills your needs the best.

The Final Verdict

Finding the best health insurance for pregnancy is essential to make this special period of your life a tad bit more comfortable and secure. Just make sure that you remember to pay attention to every important aspect of the plan as mentioned before. Finding good medical insurance in the UAE is very easy if you have the right information and conduct thorough research. Take a bit of assistance from our financial experts to ensure that you have everything you need from the maternity plan.

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