Is it important to get your newborn baby covered under a health plan with maternity benefit? Click to find out the reason behind it.
It’s important to have a newborn baby cover to provide quality healthcare. Secure your little bundle of joy.
A Bangalore-based, IT couple, Anand and Seema, were going to welcome their first baby soon. With the excitement and joy, the pregnancy had triggered a sense of anxiety for Seema. She had developed gestational diabetes during her second trimester. Due to these complications, there was a premature delivery. The baby needed intensive care and had to be in an incubator for few days.
The hospital discharged the mother and child after 2 weeks. The hospital bill turned out to be expensive for the parents. The employer-aided health plan covered a small part of the expense. The other expenses could not receive coverage. Along with the emotional trauma of the baby’s ill health, financial tension shook the family.
If Anand and Seema had forecasted the future, they could have saved much money.
Why Health Insurance for Newborn?
Along with celebrating the good news, it is crucial to plan your child’s birth in secure ways. Planning health insurance for newborns before the due date is a necessity.
A newborn child may have many health complications like congenital ailments and hypoglycaemia. With medical advancements and technology, you can handle complications at a higher cost.
In India, there are various health insurance options providing coverage for babies. But, only a few insurers and plans cover child health from day one. In some cases, about 3 months or 90 days is the time allotted. An important fact is you cannot buy a standalone health insurance plan for your newborn.
So, what next?
Group Health Insurance Plan
The best way to safeguard your newborn would be to add your child under the group mediclaim policy. You need to inform your insurer at least within a week from the date of birth.
Family Floater Health Plan
If you have a family floater plan, you can get your newborn baby covered under it. The process involves two legs. First, your insurer needs a notification about the new addition to the family. Second, you must make an added premium payment to cover the newborn baby under the plan. Nowadays, most policies offer provisions for newborns after 90 days of birth.
Individual health Insurance Plan
Only a few insurers offer individual health insurance plans under maternity benefit. Max Bupa and Apollo Munich are a couple of insurers who offer this. Some policies cover first-year vaccination costs as well. You need to pay the extra premium to get the baby covered under the maternity benefit.
Conclusion
If you are planning to start a family, prioritise having a health insurance plan. Make a calculated choice well in advance. Help your child take their first breaths in a secure and tension-free environment.
Take the first step towards safeguarding your child's health