Hi. My sister-in-law gave birth very recently. I was quite concerned when I found out that her and my brother's health insurances do not cover maternity benefits. Thus, they ended up paying very huge amounts for the baby's delivery. Is this scenario also similar with yours? Is there a health insurance that also covers giving birth?
Yes, there are health insurances that cover birth costs. Many of them that you get through work will offer some benefit or another, even if it doesn't cover everything. It's definitely worth taking into consideration when you're thinking about having a baby.
Yes, there are policies that cover maternity costs. The policies that don't cover maternity are significantly cheaper which is why some people opt for them. If you don't plan on having children, then it's a deal. If you do, then not so much.
A few years back, maternity cover was available only with group health insurance or corporate health policies. However that has changed in the recent years with maternity cover being offered by many insurers. Star Health is among the well known health insurance brand which also provides maternity coverage with its plan.Star Health is a health insurance plan which covers hospitalization expenses including maternity cover. There is waiting period of 36 months before maternity expenses are covered. The waiting period can be reduced to 24 months if policy is opted for period of 4 years.
Health insurance with maternity benefits most times come with an exclusion period at least here in Portugal, meaning that you start paying for the insurance but can only benefit from it's full coverage after six months for example.
I don't think health insurance is needed, it's a waste of money. The best health insurance you can give yourself is to eat healthy, stay active, manage your stress and try to enjoy life. That way you are improving your chances of a long and healthy life.
Having children is a natural part of life. Getting health insurance is prudent. Pregnancy can easily cost $20K or more in the United States with prenatal care, testing and the hospital stay It's much worse if there are any complication or multiple births. Eating healthy and taking care of yourself is great, but it won't protect you from accidents or even serious health diagnoses.
@vida_llevares, In which country did your sister-in-law have her child? also, @Parker, I know pregnancy in the US is very expensive, what kind of insurance can a non-citizen take out to subsidize associated pregnancy cost?
You may eat healthy and stay active, but you can still get affected by many disease conditions. As you grow older, your immunity to disease goes down. Your body stores energy differently and you tend to put on weight. No matter what you do, you are never free from disease. For instance, if you have diabetes, hypertension and heart ailments in your genes, you may still stand a chance to imbibe the problem gene. Always do the wise thing and go for a health insurance.
A normal pregnancy can cost up to $10 to $15K. This is with no complications whatsoever and a 24 hospital stay. I don't think there are residency requirements for insurance, but you must be able to provide your medical records.
The health insurance plan provided by my company has maternity benefits. Although it doesn't really cover everything, all private and public employees enjoy a mandatory government health insurance. The medical bill will be split between the government and the company-supplied health insurance. Depending on the hospital you chose, you could either pay a few bucks (the remaining amount) or nothing at all.
If health insurance does not cover delivery then I wonder what other important health needs are actually there. I am yet to register for one but would certainly opt out of any that does not cover child birth.
