What is the Waiting Period in Maternity Health Insurance Policy?

Ever heard of a waiting time for maternity insurance? Yes, maternity insurance plans come with a waiting period and thus it is important to buy the policy accordingly to avail its benefits

Embracing motherhood is a wonderful experience and with a maternity health insurance policy, the experience becomes all the more safe and secure. But you must buy your maternity insurance coverage in advance as there is a waiting period involved in such insurances. So, if you are planning to buy maternity insurance after conceiving your baby, you must rethink.

The increasing cost of health treatment including the exceptionally expensive maternity packages, procuring health insurance policy with maternity benefits has become crucial. Without insurance, the expenses that you have to incur on regular check-ups, medication and lab tests etc., during pregnancy might become a burden on your pocket. However, it is important to know all about the waiting period involved in maternity insurance before you buy a maternity insurance policy.

Waiting Period in Maternity Health Insurance Plan

So, what is a waiting period in health insurance plans including maternity plans?

In any health insurance plan including maternity policies, waiting period is the time that a policyholder has to wait before availing the benefits of the plan. So, as an insured you can make a claim on your health insurance policy only when you wait till the completion of the waiting period. Further, even if you raise a claim during the tenure of the waiting period, it will be disapproved by the insurer.

The waiting period starts with the start of the policy. However, its end date might vary depending on the insurance provider and their policy terms and conditions.

Let us check the various kinds of waiting periods in health insurance policies.

1. Initial waiting period:

There is a 30 days tenure of initial waiting period that every maternity insurance is levied with. This is the period when the insurer doesn’t approve any claims made by the insured except for medical costs incurred due to accidental injuries.

2. Maternity cover waiting period:

Generally, it can range between 90 days to 6 years. So, depending on the insurer, your maternity policy might have a waiting period that can be limited to 3 months or can go up to 6 years. This is purely dependent on the insurance company and their policies.

3. Waiting period for pre-existing diseases:

For pre-existing diseases, the waiting period generally ranges from 2 years to 4 years even in the case of maternity insurance. The insurer will not allow coverage for any pre-existing diseases during this period.

4. Waiting period for specific procedures:

2 years is the normal waiting time for some specific procedures covered under maternity insurances. These particular diseases or procedures are usually mentioned in the policy document of the insurer.

How does the waiting period in Maternity Health Plans work?

The waiting period for a maternity insurance starts as soon as you buy the maternity health plan (same date).  The insured must keep renewing the policy year on year without fail to be able to enjoy the benefits at the end of the waiting period. Once the tenure of the wait is over, the insured can avail the benefits of the waiting period by raising claims.

So, depending on the policy and the insurer, you must buy your maternity health plan well in advance to be able to avail its benefits when you actually need it, that is during pregnancy.

Is it possible to buy a health plan without waiting periods?

No, currently almost all maternity insurance plans are available with a waiting period. Further, even if you go for normal health insurance plans offering maternity protection, it comes with a waiting period. Thus, couples who want to start a family soon should procure maternity insurance in advance to get its benefits at the right time.

Is it possible to cut the tenure of maternity health insurance?

There are many riders available which can be used to reduce the waiting time for maternity insurance plans. However, it depends on your requirement whether these riders would be of any help or not.

PED rider is one such waiting period reduction add-on. It is used to cut the duration of waiting periods levied on the best health insurance plans, including maternity plans.

But, you must note that you need to pay additional premium to avail these riders. Further, some insurers may not offer such riders at all to cut the waiting period of maternity coverage.