Becoming a parent is a beautiful feeling. It may be one of the most joyous occasions of your life and an important milestone that you would cherish for the rest of your life. The arrival of a newborn baby in the family brings excitement and joy to all.

At the same time, childbirth brings a new set of responsibilities. As a parent, you must take care of so many things, from providing the best health care to adjusting your usual route for baby’s healthy growth. Besides, you must also start thinking about their insurance needs and consider adding them to your existing family health insurance policy. This way you can secure their health and get the best medical care without worrying about the cost involved.

How to buy health insurance for a newborn baby?

Buying a health insurance policy for a newborn baby is different from buying a policy for adults. You must consider specific factors, which are discussed below.

• Waiting period

All health insurance policies have a waiting period. It is the duration when the insurance company is not liable to honour the claim. The waiting period may differ from insurer to insurer. Once the waiting period is over, the newborn baby will qualify for protection. When you compare the different insurance policies, make sure that you choose a policy that has the lowest waiting period so that your newborn gets protection from unforeseen illnesses.

• Coverage

Generally, most insurers provide health insurance cover to newborn babies after they attain the age of 90 days. But you can look at plans that provide coverage for the babies at the earliest so that if the baby is diagnosed with any specific condition during childbirth, you can get coverage for the same. Also, you must be sure about the coverage amount offered to the newborn as it may vary from one insurance company to the other.

• Premium

 If you want to add your newborn baby to the existing family health insurance plan, the insurer may ask you to furbish the baby’s medical records before extending the protection. This is mainly done to check if the baby has any medical conditions or pre-existing illness.

After the insurance company verifies all the records and documents, based on the findings, they determine the premium for the newborn. Some insurance companies extend the coverage to the newborn child as an extension of the family health cover without any additional cost. 

• Group insurance

If you are a salaried individual and are covered under your employer’s group health insurance policy, you can get coverage for the newborn child. To add the baby’s name to the policy, you must fill an application form and comply with the documentation process.

However, before you initiate the process, it is better to confirm with your HR (Human Resource) officials about the policy terms and whether it covers the newborn as some organisations limit health insurance cover only to an individual.

• Read the terms and conditions

While you buy health insurance for your newborn child, it is vital that you go through the terms and conditions before signing the papers as the terms vary from insurer to insurer. If you don’t understand anything, it is better to seek clarification and ensure you are fully aware about critical things like inclusions, exclusions, sub-limits, waiting periods, etc.

Final Word

While parenthood and the thought of bearing new responsibilities may seem overwhelming, comprehensive health insurance gives you the much-needed financial support that makes the journey much smoother for you and your baby.