If you are a newly married couple planning to start a new family or a couple planning a child, buying Maternity Insurance is the best thing you can do. The maternity health insurance plan allows you to manage costs related to childbirth and maternity care, including pre- and post-natal expenses, delivery charges, and many other benefits. The blog helps you to analyse different factors and the best insurance plans available in 2025 on different online platforms.
What is a Maternity Insurance Plan
Maternity insurance is a part of a health insurance policy that helps to cover the expenses related to pregnancy and childbirth. The plan helps the family to manage the costs related to childbirth and maternal care, including pre-and post-natal expenses. Having a maternity health insurance plan helps you meet these expenses with ease, without the factor of stress and anxiety related to money.
Why Do You Need Maternity Insurance
Maternity health insurance is essential as:
- The policy covers medical expenses related to childbirth.
- Helps to provide access to quality healthcare for the mother as well as the child.
- Helps provide cashless hospitalisation, ensuring the mother receives the necessary medical attention without worrying about payments first.
- The insurance policy provides coverage for the newborn, which includes facilities like treatments and vaccinations for the infant.
- The policy provides coverage for pre-and post-natal expenses of the insured woman and her newborn baby.
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Key Features of Maternity Insurance
The key features of having a maternity health insurance plan are:
| FEATURES | SPECIFICATIONS |
| Network hospitals for cashless facilities | 6,500+ |
| Coverage | Up to Rs. 50 lakh |
| Newborn care | Covered |
| Tax benefits | Available |
| Daycare procedures | Covered |
| OPD cover | Covered |
| Ambulance charges | Covered |
Benefits of Maternity Insurance
The benefits of having a maternity health insurance plan are:
- Prenatal and Postnatal Treatments: Provides comprehensive care before and after the delivery of the child for the welfare of the mother and the baby.
- Newborn Baby Expenses: The expenses related to the newborn’s treatments and vaccinations.
- Delivery Expenses: The expenses regarding the surgery costs for normal and C-sections, which can range from ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh. It helps take the financial load off the family.
- Pregnancy Complications: Complications like ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage can easily affect pregnant women. In these situations, having a maternity health insurance plan helps to take care of the financial situation of the family.
Best Maternity Health Insurance Plans
There are variety of maternity insurance plans present in the market, you have to carefully analyse and choose the plan that covers your needs and suits your budget. The list of the best maternity health insurance plans in 2025 is given below:
| Plan Name | Delivery Expenses Limit (₹) | Maternity Waiting Period | Premium (Rs) |
| Aditya Birla ActivOne Maternity Plan | 50,000 | 3 months | 32,540 (For a policy tenure of 3 years) |
| Aditya Birla Activ Fit Preferred Plan | 40,000 or 60,000 | 3 years | 16,766 |
| Care Joy Tomorrow Plan | 50,000 | 2 years | 29,132 (For ₹5 lakh sum insured) |
| ICICI Lombard Elevate Plan | 1 lakh | 2 years | 52,557 |
| ICICI Lombard Health AdvantEdge Plan | 1 lakh | 2 years | 35,151 |
| ManipalCigna ProHealth Prime Advantage Plan | 1 lakh | 3 years | 24,458 |
| ManipalCigna Lifetime Plan | 1 lakh | 3 years | 30,740 (With Maternity Cover rider) |
| Niva Bupa Health Premia Plan | 60,000 | 2 years | 30,073 |
| Niva Bupa Aspire Gold+ | 12,000 | 4 years | 15,200 |
| Reliance Health Infinity Insurance Plan | 1 lakh or 2 lakh | 1 year / 2 years | 70,593 |
| Star Women Care Insurance Plan | 25,000 – 1 lakh | 2 years | 18,012 |
| Star Comprehensive Plan | 30,000 or 50,000 | 2 years | 18,361 |
| Star Health Assure Insurance Plan | 1 lakh | 2 years | 19,777 |
| Star Health Young Star Gold Plan | 30,000 | 3 years | 13,646 |
| Tata AIG Medicare Premier Plan | 1 lakh (For a boy child), 1.2 lakh (For a girl child) | 4 years | 21,861 |
| Zuno Health Insurance Gold & Platinum Plan | 50,000 (Gold), 2 lakh (Platinum) | 4 years | 18,195 |
How to Choose the Best Maternity Insurance
With so many options and companies providing, you should always analyse the details like inclusions and exclusions under the policy, and many other factors. Things to keep in mind while buying a maternity health insurance plan are:
- Choose a plan with a low waiting period.
- Choose a policy with high maternity coverage.
- Check out the details of the pre- and post-hospitalisation coverages included in the policy.
- Also, check the details of the newborn coverage provided by the company.
- Make sure that the policy provides comprehensive coverage across the pre- and post-natal period.
Eligibility Criteria for Maternity Health Insurance
The eligibility criteria may vary from policy to policy. The criteria for being able to buy a maternity health insurance are:
- Your age must be between 18 years to 50 years.
- You need to apply at least 24 months before planning to get pregnant, for the coverage to kick in.
- You will only be insured for a fixed number of deliveries in your lifetime (a maximum of 3 in most cases).
Documents Required to Raise a Claim for Maternity Health Insurance
At the time of availing the benefits of the policy, the list of documents required is:
- Claim Form: You have to fill out a claim form with the required details.
- Medical Records: The records help to confirm your pregnancy journey. Therefore, it is important to collect reports from your doctor during prenatal checkups.
- Policy Document: The insurance policy documents help you to avail the benefits of the plan. You should keep a copy ready while submitting a claim.
- Identification Proof: Provide a copy of a valid ID, like an Aadhar card, passport, or driver’s license, to verify your identity.
- Hospital Invoices: You should keep the receipts and bills from medical treatments related to your pregnancy. These documents are crucial for claiming the insurance benefits.
- Maternity Certificate: Obtain a certificate from your doctor or hospital that confirms your pregnancy. This acts as official documentation for your insurance claim.
Claim Process to Avail Maternity Health Insurance Policy
The process for claiming the insurance policy is given below:
- You must have all the documents required, including the claim form, medical reports, policy documents, hospital bills, and maternity certificate.
- Fill out the claim form, ensuring there are no incorrect details or missing columns.
- Submit the claim form along with the documents to your insurance provider online or by visiting their office.
- The insurance company will review your claim and documents and will then approve the claim and notify you about their decision.
- Depending on the type of policy you have opted for, you will either receive reimbursement or the company will directly settle the bills with the hospital.
- You can contact the insurance company for any updates or additional information you need to process your claim smoothly.
Inclusions and Exclusions in Maternity Insurance
It is essential to analyse all of your options and then choose the plan that suits you well. The list of inclusions and exclusions in a Maternity Insurance Plan is:
| S. No. | INCLUSIONS | EXCLUSIONS |
| 1. | Normal Delivery Expenses | Unlawful termination of pregnancy |
| 2. | C-section delivery expenses | Any type of medical expenses experienced for the management of an Ectopic pregnancy |
| 3. | Newborn baby expenses | Congenital Diseases |
| 4. | Pre or post-natal care expenses | Expenses incurred during the waiting period |
| 5. | Medically necessary pregnancy termination expenses | Maternity benefits availed outside the geographical boundaries of India |
| 6. | IVF treatment | Pre-existing diseases affecting the pregnancy |
| 7. | Pregnancy complications | Multiple Births |
| 8. | Newborn baby’s vaccination expenses | Late Enrollment |
| 9. | Inpatient hospitalization expenses | Diagnostic Fees |
| 10. | Stem cell preservation | Cosmetic Surgery |
| 11. | Surrogacy | Medical Expenses for eyesight, hearing, and dental |
| 12. | Ambulance Expenses | Fertility Treatments |
When to Purchase Maternity Health Insurance
Women are advised to buy maternity insurance as early as possible to ensure they finish serving the waiting period before the couple decides to start a family. All maternity insurance plans have a minimum waiting period of 3 months. During the waiting period, the women cannot claim any pregnancy-related expenses.
If you are planning to get pregnant, you should purchase a maternity health insurance after:
- Soon after getting married.
- Young couples who are planning a family.
- If you are planning for a second child.
Maternity Health Insurance while you are Pregnant
Obtaining health insurance for pregnancy after being pregnant is a bit difficult, as in order to avail the benefits of the maternity insurance, you generally have to wait a limited amount of time for it to mature, but some companies provide a shorter waiting period.
It is strongly advised to pre-plan your maternity insurance and wait for at least a duration of 24 months before conceiving for the policy to kick in and for you to be able to receive the benefits of the policy.
How is the Cost of Maternity Health Insurance Calculated?
Let’s take a look at how the cost of a maternity health insurance plan is calculated. The cost of the insurance is the price you pay in the form of premiums on an annual, semi-annual, or monthly basis to keep the policy active.
The factors that are considered while calculating the cost of the maternity health insurance plan are:
- Age (The higher your age, the higher the premium)
- Amount of Coverage
- Maternity Add-ons
- Medical History
- Waiting period (shorter waiting period is equal to higher premiums)
- Renewal Terms
- Network Hospitals
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FAQs
1. What is a Maternity Insurance Plan?
Maternity insurance is a type of health insurance policy that helps to cover the pregnancy and childbirth expenses.
2. What are the age requirements for buying a Maternity Health Insurance?
An individual must be between 18 years to 50 years old to buy a Maternity Health Insurance.
3. Does maternity health insurance cover multiple births?
Yes, maternity health insurance can cover multiple births; however, the number depends on the type of policy you have taken.
4. When should one buy a maternity health insurance plan?
One should buy a maternity health insurance plan well before planning a pregnancy; typically, a 24-month waiting period is considered ideal.
5. Can a maternity health insurance plan cover both normal delivery and a C-section delivery?
Yes, most of the maternity health insurance policies cover both normal and C-section deliveries.
