Maternity Insurance: Everything You Need to Know About Pregnancy Insurance in UAE

If you are married and planning to have a baby, remember that pregnancy charges in the UAE are too high. Usually, the costs of newborns, including prenatal and postnatal care, remain AED 20,000 for normal deliveries and AED 30,000 for cesarian cases. Therefore, all parents in the country rely on maternity insurance that covers most of the pregnancy-related expenses. Moreover, the Health Insurance Law of 2013 makes it binding for all citizens and residents to purchase a health insurance policy to take care of themselves and their families.

What is Maternity Insurance?

Maternity Insurance is a type of Health Insurance that covers all the expenses from the start of pregnancy to childbirth and even postnatal care for a specific time. It includes regular health checkups after expectations, hospitalization, delivery charges, and medicines.

The rising healthcare costs in the UAE have made pregnancy and parenthood difficult for new couples. It is the maternity insurance that provides them security and relieves financial and emotional stress.

Why Maternity Insurance in UAE?

Being pregnant is an important milestone in the life of a woman and her family. However, it brings many complications and destabilizes a family financially if you are a resident of the UAE. It is the pregnancy insurance or health insurance that helps the family at this difficult time. Remember that you may have to pay additional costs if any complication arises during pregnancy. You may have to spend extra money after delivery to take care of the mother and the newborn baby. Always buy maternity insurance because it can provide comprehensive coverage not only during pregnancy but after delivery, too.

Waiting Period For Maternity Insurance in UAE

Earlier, the insurance companies in the UAE fixed the period of six to twelve months as the waiting period to claim maternity insurance benefits. However, the competition among various insurance companies and market demands have inclined companies to waive this long period. Nowadays, you do not need to wait longer to claim benefits. Most companies are offering a waiting period of just 60 days or two LMP cycles to claim your benefits. Therefore, buy a comprehensive policy as you plan to grow a family in the UAE.

Maternity Insurance Cover For Already Pregnant

Buying maternity insurance in the UAE is also as crucial as the timing and planning ahead. Remember that buying a policy provides you with innumerable benefits but also has many limitations. One of the limitations of maternity insurance is that it does not cover already pregnant women.

Every insurance company collects premiums from the family and, in return, gives them health coverage. Thus, it is always their plan to collect more amount in premiums than the benefits they will provide. Therefore, insurance companies are always reluctant to insure an already pregnant woman because they will not be able to collect as many premiums as can provide you with comprehensive coverage.

However, you can buy a policy by paying high premiums. Most maternity insurance policies in the UAE start with an AED 5000 premium. You may have to pay a premium of AED 25,000 to buy maternity insurance if you are already pregnant. In other words, paying the maternity expenses from your pocket may be more easy than paying the premium. The only benefit you can receive under this type of insurance is during the complications arising in delivery.

However, you can buy an insurance plan from a hospital if you are already pregnant because it covers physician’s fees and room charges, also with other benefits. Therefore, it is mandatory to buy maternity insurance as you plan to grow a family so that it can protect you financially during hard times.

Tips For Buying Maternity Insurance

Buying maternity insurance is a technical decision to get comprehensive benefits. However, keeping the following things in mind can help you buy the best plan in the UAE.

Total Amount of Insurance Coverage

Do you know that the amount of your sum insured determines how much premium you will have to pay? A greater sum means a higher premium and a lower sum means you have to pay a low premium. But keep in mind that a lower sum insured may not cover pregnancy-related costs and you may have to spend from your pocket. So, prefer choosing an optimal coverage that can meet your needs. Buying a policy with an AED 15K sum is an adequate option for normal delivery. For a c-section case, your sum assured must be AED 25,000 or greater.

Waiting Period

Always be careful of the waiting period while buying a maternity insurance plan. Most insurance companies in the UAE offer a waiting period of 6-12 months for providing policy benefits. Therefore, buy a plan well before pregnancy to enjoy comprehensive benefits.

Payable Premium

As already mentioned, a low premium means less sum insured, and a high premium means you will get a higher sum. Never compromise on the sum insured to pay less premium. Instead, prefer buying maternity insurance with a reasonable premium to avail a sum that can provide you coverage for all maternity-related charges.

Policy Inclusion

Before buying a policy, ask the insurance company about what is included in the maternity insurance you are going to buy. Ensure that your policy covers all necessary charges. Usually, these charges include delivery expenses, prenatal and postnatal care, vaccinations for the newborn, medicines, consultations, and routine checkups.

Newborn Baby Cover

Many insurance companies in the UAE offer additional coverage for the newborn baby. Therefore, always prefer buying the policy that offers these additional benefits. This kind of coverage is always beneficial during pre-mature births and complicated deliveries. These policies also cover the expenses for the treatment of babies born with congenital disabilities.

Maternity Insurance Benefits in UAE

Policyholders in the UAE get the following benefits from their health insurance, including maternity coverage.

Financial Security

Financial security is one of the major benefits of buying maternity insurance in the   UAE. Maternity insurance covers all pregnancy-related expenses, including routine checkups, delivery charges, and post-delivery expenses like postnatal covers. It helps couples enjoy the happiness of being parents.

Top Quality Healthcare

Another benefit of buying a health insurance policy covering Maternity insurance is the provision of high-quality healthcare services. An individual in the UAE cannot afford to take healthcare facilities from top hospitals in the Emirates unless he buys a policy. Most insurance companies offer medical facilities at any of the best hospitals in the UAE.

Lower Waiting Period

Nowadays, Maternity insurance policy buyers need not wait for longer periods to avail the benefits of the policy because most insurance companies have lowered the waiting period to ensure their place in this competitive environment. The policyholders can claim benefits after a waiting period of just 60 days.

Newborn Baby Care

Extreme care of the newborn baby is always a concern for the new parents. Buying pregnancy insurance relieves them of the concern because their policies provide additional benefits of prenatal and postnatal coverage. The parents can take care of their newborns at top-quality medical facilities for 30-90 days without any extra cost.

Enjoy Parenting

Buying comprehensive maternity insurance saves parents from financial problems and helps them enjoy the bliss of being parents. They can enjoy these emotional moments with their families without any concern for financial issues.

What Maternity Insurance Covers in UAE

Most Health Insurance Policies and Maternity Insurance policies in UAE offer the following covers:

1-Prenatal Care

Almost all maternity insurance policies cover prenatal care which helps to cover the costs of preventive medical checkups. These health checkups start from the early days of pregnancy and remain till delivery. The UAE Health Authority Law binds all insurance companies to cover at least eight prenatal appointments. Prenatal care also includes basic blood tests covering 10% of total benefits.

2-Hospitalization

Maternity insurance also covers the costs of hospitalization in the final days of the pregnancy. Insurance companies offer hospitalization at the best quality medical facilities in the country.

3-Delivery Expenses

Your pregnancy insurance policies in the UAE cover delivery expenses both in normal delivery and c-section deliveries. It also covers the treatment for any complication that may arise during pregnancy.

4-Postnatal Covers

Postnatal care is among the most needful benefits of pregnancy insurance policies in the UAE. Most policies cover the expenses incurred after delivery, both for the mother and the baby. This kind of cover is extremely beneficial for complicated deliveries.

5-Newborn Care

Nowadays, most insurance policies offer the benefits of newborn care in their maternity insurance policy packages. It helps parents to provide top-quality healthcare facilities at the best hospital. The parents can take care of their newborn baby for 30-90 days without any extra cost.

What Maternity Insurance Does Not Cover

Although pregnancy insurance in the UAE covers several benefits, it also has many limitations. Therefore, before buying a maternity insurance policy, you must know what your policy does not cover. Usually, maternity insurance policies in the UAE do not cover:

• It does not cover pregnancy before buying maternity insurance. Existing pregnancies are not covered under maternity insurance. It only offers comprehensive benefits after the waiting period.
• Almost all health insurance providers set an upper age limit for offering maternity insurance benefits. No one can buy a policy after the specified age.
• Your maternity insurance policy will never cover expenses incurred on voluntary abortions. However, it covers abortion due to any medical condition.
•  You cannot claim maternity insurance benefits if you opt for a cesarian over normal delivery. The expenses of a c-section on medical grounds are covered under the policy.
• Multiple childbirths do not come under the provisions of the maternity insurance policy. Usually, a plan is valid for a single childbirth. You have to buy different plans for every childbirth.

Maternity Insurance Companies in the UAE

Most insurance companies in the UAE offer health insurance policies with maternity coverage. Some of the most famous insurance providers are:

How to Choose the Best Pregnancy Insurance

The availability of many insurance providers and the variety of plans they offer make it difficult for parents to choose the best pregnancy policy. The tips below may help you select the best maternity insurance company.

• Before buying a maternity insurance policy plan, do thorough research on the companies providing insurance facilities. Always compare their plans and pricing and select the one that offers comprehensive coverage at competitive prices.
• Keep in mind the premium amount you have to pay for the policy. It should always be in your control. However, never compromise on the sum you will receive at the time of delivery. It should be enough to cover all pregnancy-related expenses.
• Compare the benefits and features of different plans they offer and make a checklist to make your choice a lot easier.
• Check the online reviews and ratings given by the people who have already availed of their plans.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)