Should I buy health insurance for my parents?

Keeping in mind the skyrocketing costs of availing healthcare facilities and constantly rising medical inflation in India, it makes sense to invest in a good health insurance plan for your parents. In the absence of the same, you may have to pay for the expenses out of your pocket in case of a medical emergency. This could result in the depletion of your entire savings.

Why is it better to opt for an early healthcare plan for my parents?

It is a known fact that health insurance premiums rise with the increase in the insured person’s age. Hence, it is better to opt for a healthcare plan for your parents at an early stage. It will keep the premiums in check. Also, many insurance providers put a cap on the maximum entry of the insured. Therefore, buy a health plan for your parents early on so that they are not denied for it later.

My parents have a pre-existing disease; Can I buy health insurance?

Yes. Many health insurance policies cover certain pre-existing diseases, albeit with a waiting period of two to four years. It means that these policies will cover the treatment of certain pre-existing diseases after the completion of the waiting period. Go for the policy with a minimum waiting period.

Is there any age limit while buying health insurance for parents?

It varies from one insurance company to another. Usually, every health insurance policy has certain age criterion. There can be a minimum and maximum entry age for the insured to avail the policy. Do check for these conditions with the insurer before buying a health policy for your parents.

Is there any medical test in health insurance for parents?

It depends upon the insurer. While some insurance companies may not require medical tests to issue a health insurance policy, some make it mandatory. Usually, if the prospect is above the age of 45, his/her pre-medical screening is necessary.

Can I cover my parents in my existing health insurance policy?

Yes. You can include your parents in your existing family floater plans. However, do check the maximum age criteria with the insurance provider before doing so. A wise option is to purchase a separate health insurance policy for your parents since including them in your family floater plan may shoot up its premium.

How Can I enhance my parents’ insurance coverage?

You can customise your parental insurance policy in multiple ways to enhance its coverage. For instance, you can opt for a higher sum insured at the time of policy renewal. Additionally, you can attach some add-on covers (available at additional premium) such as critical illness rider, personal accident cover etc. to your base policy to enhance its coverage.

Can I include my senior citizen parents in a family floater insurance plan?

Insurers generally do not allow the inclusion of senior citizens in a family floater plan. They tend to cover the members below the age of 60 only. What you can do is purchase individual health plans for your mother and father or buy a separate family floater plan for both of them.

Maternity Health Insurance: Buy Pregnancy Insurance Plan

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GST waiver makes health insurance 18% cheaper from 22nd Sept 2025.

What is a Maternity Insurance Plan?

A maternity insurance plan is a type of health insurance plan that helps cover expenses related to pregnancy and childbirth. This plan allows you to manage costs associated with childbirth and maternity care, including pre- and post-natal expenses and delivery charges, among others. Delivery charges based on normal or caesarean procedures can range from a few thousand rupees to lakhs.

A maternity health insurance plan helps you meet these expenses with ease. Depending on the plan’s terms and conditions, it can also provide expenses for the hospitalisation of the newborn along with vaccination.

Why Do You Need Maternity Insurance?

Maternity insurance is needed to:

Cover medical expenses related to childbirth

With the rising medical inflation, the cost of childbirth procedures have shot up rapidly. In private hospitals and nursing homes, it can easily cost up to a lakh of rupees. Maternity health insurance helps you meet this cost without requiring you to dip into your savings.

Access to quality healthcare

Parents want the best possible healthcare for their newborn child. A maternity health insurance plan provides you with the financial muscle to access better healthcare facilities at top hospitals and nursing homes for both, the mother and the child.

Cashless hospitalisation

Childbirths are time-sensitive affairs. A maternity health insurance plan allows cashless hospitalisation, thereby ensuring you receive medical attention as soon as possible without worrying about making upfront payments.

Coverage for newborn

A maternity health insurance plan also covers medical expenses for the newborn for a specific period after childbirth, including vaccinations.

Having maternity insurance gives you peace of mind and financial security in one of the most important phases of your life.

Coverage for pre-and post-natal expenses

There are multiple expenses that you need to bear before and after childbirth. A maternity health insurance plan helps you cover pre-and-post natal expenses. Prenatal expenses include doctor’s visits, medications, various tests, etc. On the other hand, postnatal expenses are costs incurred after delivery, including hospitalisation stay, tests for the newborn, etc.

Maternity Health Insurance - Eligibility Criteria

While the specifics may differ across policies, to buy the policy:

You must be within a certain age bracket, which can range from 18 to 50 years
You need to complete a certain waiting period before the coverage kicks in (generally 24 months)
You will covered only for a fixed number of deliveries in your lifetime (max 3 in most cases)

Talk to your insurer before buying the policy to know the specific eligibility criteria.

Maternity & Newborn Cover With Health Insurance

Maternity and newborn coverage is generally offered as an add-on to health insurance. It means you get this coverage by paying an additional premium over and above the base policy premium. It is essential to note that maternity health insurance generally has a waiting period of 24 months or 2 years. That said, several policies offer you the option to reduce the waiting period through add-ons or optional covers from 24 months to 12 months.

Also, if you have taken a policy without maternity cover and want to opt for it, you can ask your insurer to add it at the time of renewal.

Features of Maternity Insurance Plan

Some key features of a maternity health insurance plan are as follows:

Comprehensive coverage

Maternity insurance offers comprehensive coverage, including pre-and-postnatal expenses, costs for vaccination, etc.

Easy application

You can buy maternity health insurance online in a few clicks, hassle-free.

Reduces your tax outgo

The premiums paid towards a maternity health insurance plan qualify for tax exemption under section 80D of the Income Tax Act under the old tax regime.

Advantages of Maternity Insurance Plan

The advantages of maternity health insurance are multi-fold. These include:

Financial preparedness before childbirth
A cashless facility ensures no waiting for reimbursement
Ensures funds are not a paucity during delivery

Inclusions in Maternity Insurance

Inclusions
Exclusions

Though specifics may differ across policies, here are some inclusions of a maternity insurance plan:

Pays for maternity expenses

This insurance policy covers maternity expenses incurred during childbirth. This could be a flat sum insured or a certain percentage of the annual sum insured by a health policy offering maternity cover. The policy also covers expenses related to the medically recommended lawful termination of pregnancy only for life-threatening situations, subject to a maximum of 3 terminations.
Pays for prenatal and postnatal expenses

The policy covers prenatal (from conception until baby delivery) and postnatal (after childbirth) expenses. Generally, postnatal expenses incurred on an inpatient basis up to 30 days from the date of baby delivery are covered.

Newborn baby cover

A maternity health insurance plan covers medical expenses incurred on hospitalisation (for a minimum consecutive 24 hours) of a newborn baby. Note that costs are covered for a specific period - a maximum of 90 days from the baby’s birth.
Vaccination for the new born baby in the first year

A maternity insurance plan covers vaccination expenses for newborn babies until they are one year old during the policy period, subject to a maximum limit as per the policy’s terms and conditions (₹10,000 max).

Maternity insurance has certain exclusions. Exclusions are events under which you will not be covered under a maternity health insurance plan. These include:

Unlawful termination of pregnancy
Any medical expenses incurred for the management of Ectopic pregnancy
Medical treatment expenses traceable to childbirth, including complicated deliveries and caesarean sections incurred during hospitalisation

Expenses incurred during the waiting period
Maternity benefits availed outside the geographical boundaries of India
Expenses towards miscarriage, unless due to an accident

When to Purchase Maternity Health Insurance?

As maternity health insurance has a waiting period, it’s best to purchase it a couple of years before family planning. This ensures you meet the waiting period clause and get coverage during pregnancy and childbirth. Compare different plans and choose the best that fits your needs.

Documents Required to Apply for Maternity Health Insurance

You need to provide basic documents related to identity and address to buy maternity health insurance. These could be:

Aadhaar card
PAN card
Voter card
Passport
Driving licence

Your insurer will inform you if you need to produce any additional documents to buy this plan, which could be medical reports in certain cases.

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Liver transplant surgery in India is a complex but life-saving treatment for liver failure and chronic conditions. This blog explains different transplant types, city-wise cost ranges, influencing factors and how health insurance can help manage expenses effectively.

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Frequently Asked Questions on Maternity Health Insurances

Can I purchase maternity insurance if I’m already pregnant?

While you can purchase maternity insurance if you are pregnant, note that coverage kicks-in only after the waiting period.

Can I claim maternity benefits from two insurance policies?

While you can purchase maternity insurance if you are pregnant, coverage kicks in only after the waiting period.

Can both husband and wife claim maternity insurance?

If both husband and wife have separate policies, they can claim maternity insurance from their respective policies.

Why should I consider buying maternity insurance?

Maternity health insurance provides holistic coverage during pregnancy and childbirth. It eases financial burden and also covers pre- and post-natal expenses.

Is coverage available for a third childbirth under maternity insurance plans?

Most maternity insurance plans cover up to three deliveries. However, check the policy documents to see if the policy provides coverage for more than three childbirths.

What factors should I consider before purchasing maternity insurance?

Waiting period, sum insured on offer, inclusions and exclusions, insurer’s claim settlement ratio, quality of service, etc. are some factors to consider before buying maternity insurance.

How does the maternity insurance claims process work?

Inform your insurer about hospitalisation and fill out the claims forms along with the required documents, including original bills, receipts, discharge certificates, original investigation reports, etc.

Is there a maximum claim limit for maternity insurance?

Maternity coverage under a regular health policy is usually capped up to a certain percentage of the annual sum insured. For standalone maternity insurance plans, this could be a flat sum insured per your chosen policy.

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Maternity Health Insurance

What is a Maternity Insurance Plan?

Why Do You Need Maternity Insurance?

Cover medical expenses related to childbirth

Access to quality healthcare

Cashless hospitalisation

Coverage for newborn

Coverage for pre-and post-natal expenses

Maternity Health Insurance - Eligibility Criteria

Maternity & Newborn Cover With Health Insurance

Features of Maternity Insurance Plan

Comprehensive coverage

Easy application

Reduces your tax outgo

Advantages of Maternity Insurance Plan

Inclusions in Maternity Insurance

Pays for maternity expenses

Pays for prenatal and postnatal expenses

Newborn baby cover

Vaccination for the new born baby in the first year

Unlawful termination of pregnancy

Any medical expenses incurred for the management of Ectopic pregnancy

Medical treatment expenses traceable to childbirth, including complicated deliveries and caesarean sections incurred during hospitalisation

Expenses incurred during the waiting period

Maternity benefits availed outside the geographical boundaries of India

Expenses towards miscarriage, unless due to an accident

When to Purchase Maternity Health Insurance?

Documents Required to Apply for Maternity Health Insurance

Aadhaar card

PAN card

Voter card

Passport

Driving licence