Maternity Insurance: What It Actually Covers

Maternity benefits are usually an optional or built-in feature of a health insurance policy, with rules that differ meaningfully from the rest of your cover — most importantly, a longer waiting period than general hospitalization claims.

What's typically covered

• Normal delivery and C-section hospitalization costs, usually up to a specific maternity sub-limit separate from your main sum insured.
• Pre and post-natal expenses, in some policies, for a limited period around delivery.
• Newborn baby cover for an initial period after birth (commonly around 90 days) before the baby needs to be formally added as a policy member.

What to check before you need it

• The waiting period — commonly 2-4 years of continuous policy coverage before maternity benefits activate, which means this needs planning well ahead of pregnancy.
• The maternity sub-limit amount, which can be considerably lower than your overall sum insured.
• Whether complications during pregnancy or delivery are covered under general hospitalization terms or capped under the maternity sub-limit specifically.

Frequently asked questions