SOURCE : NEW18 NEWS
Last Updated:May 10, 2025, 06:30 IST
Chetan Vasudeva stresses the need for maternity insurance to safeguard maternal health amid rising medical costs in India, covering prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care.
Health insurance also promotes institutional births, diminishing dependence on home deliveries that are frequently not under medical supervision.
Authored by Chetan Vasudeva: As we celebrate Mother’s Day, let us be aware of the importance of protecting maternal health with maternity insurance that ensures every mother can access quality care without financial stress. With the steady rise in medical inflation, a large number of pregnancy expenses are getting converted from life-enhancing into income-reducing events or even economic burdens. Many expecting women and the little ones (after birth) lack improved medical services, due to lack of adequate funds.
The price of maternity services in India is increasing, where the cost of natural child-birth in a private hospital has increased to 15,000 INR to 25,000 INR, and the cost for C-Section has risen to INR 25,000 – 200,000 in big cities, the figures are making maternity healthcare a luxury medical service in the metros. Families of 58% women choosing private maternity service in India have to part with over 80% of their household income on health expenses, which is a major financial cost.
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Given the rising medical costs around maternity, maternity insurance is no longer an optional need, it is a need-based product for today’s women, both in urban, semi-urban and should also be adopted in Tier 3/4 beyond cities.
Maternity medical services also include prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care, which usually come with a hefty financial toll, especially for families with little to no savings. Insurance coverage helps in transferring the expenses into an allocated, manageable investment and the money can be used for other needs of the new-born baby.
Must-Have Maternity Insurance Add-Ons: Although the standard health insurance policies provide the maternity requirements, some extra riders and add-ons could provide further financial security not only for the mother but also for the child. Prenatal check-ups, complications during pregnancy, neonatal intensive care, and vaccinations are some of the riders of the additional coverages. Though the rider benefits differ from one insurance policy to another. Some of them also involve the treatment of infertility, thus, simplifying the process for those couples that have reproductive problems.
Maternity OPD Rider: The outpatient department expenses such as a regular visit to the gynaecologist, ultrasounds, blood tests, prenatal check-ups are covered. Therefore, any pregnant woman will have fewer out-of-pocket costs during pregnancy care.
New-born Cover Rider: It covers the expenses associated with the new-born, such as hospitalization, vaccinations, and neonatal intensive care for a premature delivery, or congenital diseases. Most policies offer coverage from day one, providing financial security for unforeseen medical requirements.
Complication Coverage Rider: This is a very important benefit for today’s mothers, as lifestyle complications are leading to more and more complications in pregnancies. The complication coverage rider helps in paying the costs for risky pregnancies, emergency C-section, gestational diabetes, and some other maternal health complications which require highly specialized treatment. There is also an additional Infertility Treatment Rider, where treatments like the IVF or IUI are covered for the couples who are not able to conceive naturally.
Extended Postnatal Care Rider: It provides medical care post-delivery which include check-ups, lactation counselling, physiotherapy, treatment of postpartum depression, as well as all the other kinds of recovery-oriented healthcare needs.
Room Rent Waiver Rider: This makes it possible for the family to use all the amenities of a high-quality hospital, without any room rent ceilings.
Health insurance is not only a financial safety net but it’s also an important asset for maternal and new-born health. Having the correct insurance coverage helps provide timely medical care, thereby lowering risks tied to pregnancy problems, premature deliveries, and other birth complications. With insurance, families can seek top-quality care with confidence, thus significantly enhancing survival rates for new-borns and their mothers.
Health insurance also promotes institutional births, diminishing dependence on home deliveries that are frequently not under medical supervision. Taking away the economic obstacle enables families to pursue ongoing, high-quality medical attention, providing safer childbearing experiences and healthier starts for infants. We should understand that the path to parenthood must be one of joy and excitement and not economic worry. It is the time to prioritize affordable maternity care as a top public health goal, so that every mother and child can have the chance to flourish.
It is authored by Chetan Vasudeva, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Elephant.in
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
- First Published:
May 10, 2025, 06:30 IST
