A maternity health insurance plan covers all the expenses related to childbirth up to a certain period (pre-and post-pregnancy). One can choose a standalone policy or get an add-on health insurance policy that has maternity cover. Here are some of the important aspects to note about eligibility criteria on maternity health insurance:
- Most of the insurance providers set a minimum entry age criterion of 18 years. The maximum age criterion is 45 years.
- At the time of hospitalisation for delivery/childbirth, one has to immediately inform the insurance company to initiate the claim process in any maternity health insurance.
Most insurers allow claims for cashless facility or reimbursement. Here is the process:
- Once the insurance provider has been informed about hospitalisation through the website or customer care number, the claimant has to submit a duly filled in claim form.
- The hospital will then verify and forward the required documents to the insurance company as submitted by the claimant.
- If the claimant has been admitted to a hospital that forms part of the insurance provider’s network, then post verification, the insurance company directly pays the hospital expenses as part of its cashless claim process.
- In case one does not want to opt for a network hospital, then the claim for cashless payment may be rejected. However, the claimant is entitled to get the expenses paid under the reimbursement system. In this case, the claimant has to make the hospital payment upon discharge. Once he/she submits the documents and the original bill to the insurance provider, the expenses will be reimbursed.