Is Cesarean Delivery Covered Under Health Insurance Plans?

Parenthood changes every parent’s priorities and while the child’s responsibility is shared between the husband and the wife, the expenses related to the child are usually the responsibility of the husband. At today’s age when expenses are inflating at an unending pace, meeting such costs is increasingly becoming difficult.

Upbringing of a child is expensive and so are the expenses involved in childbirth. While a normal delivery may cost less, a Cesarean delivery rakes up the hospital bills and if you do not have a health insurance plan to pay for your bills, such costs would wipe out your savings in a jiffy.

What if we tell you that some health insurance plans cover maternity expenses maternity expenses under their coverage options? Under such maternity coverage, both normal as well as cesarean deliveries are covered.

As per the latest numbers, a Cesarean delivery is more common and the preferred child-birth procedure and such deliveries are expensive ranging from Rs.30, 000 to Rs.1 lakh. Having your health insurance cover for the Cesarean delivery would be a relief to you in terms of finances. Though some health plans cover Cesarean deliveries, there are certain points which should be kept in mind.

• A compulsory waiting period – Every health plan which covers maternity expenses would cover it after a waiting period. This period ranges from 2 years to 6 years and the period should be considered before buying the plan. Specialized maternity plans may have a lower waiting period but the concept of waiting period would be applicable in every plan providing maternity coverage. For instance, Niva Bupa (Formerly known as Max Bupa) Heartbeat Gold Plan covers Cesarean deliveries after a waiting period of 2 years while special maternity plan by  Religare Health 'Joy' covers it after 9 months.
• Limitation on the coverage amount – There is a capping on the maximum allowable amount covering a Cesarean delivery. This capping depends on the amount of Sum Assured opted for and the plan variant. The amount usually ranges from Rs.40, 000 to Rs.1 lakh. So, before you buy the plan, check the allowable limit so that before you go for the delivery you would know the extent of the bill your health plan would cover.
• Other maternity coverages – Other than your Cesarean delivery, some health plans also provide coverage for complications during child-birth, pre-natal and post-natal expenses and ambulance costs. Moreover, the new-born baby might also be included in the cover till policy renewal along with the baby’s related vaccination expenses.
• Premium – Obvious to state, the premium for the plans which cover your Cesarean delivery would be on the higher side. Plans with maternity coverage always entail a higher premium for the coverage granted.

Thus, your Cesarean delivery would be covered under health insurance plans but only some plans provide this coverage. Such plans include:

Disclaimer : *Policybazaar does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by an insurer.

Note: This is a sample list and may not cover the plans coming up in the market

Rest assured! Your child birth expenses can be borne by the health insurance plan and while selecting a plan for such requirement, keep in mind the points mentioned above.