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A woman's body changes significantly while she is pregnant. Therefore, for her well-being, it is crucial to keep track of everything connected to her health. The well-being of her unborn child is also closely related to her own. Women should visit their doctors regularly during and after pregnancy for this reason.

However, if your health insurance plan does not offer maternity coverage, the expenses related to pregnancy may burn a hole in your wallet. Pregnancy expenses in Dubai, including both prenatal and postpartum care, can range from AED 20,000 to AED 30,000 for a couple looking to start a family (depending on the type of delivery).

Is a Maternity Insurance Plan Mandatory in the UAE?

Although healthcare is expensive everywhere, Dubai residents had trouble getting inexpensive maternity coverage in the past.  Fortunately, Law No. 11 of 2013 for Dubai Health Insurance followed, with all provisions taking effect by the end of June 2016. It became somewhat simpler for UAE citizens to obtain quality maternity benefits because of the DHA reform, which made it essential for all businesses to offer health insurance with maternity benefits to all employees, including their dependents.

Maternity Insurance in UAE: What Does it Include?

Each health insurance UAE coverage offers a different set of maternity benefits. Therefore, it is essential that you be aware of these benefits when purchasing your policy.

Pre-natal Care

Prenatal care is routine visits to the gynaecologist or obstetrician prior to childbirth to check on the health of the mother and the unborn child during the prenatal stage. Prior to the DHA reform, insurance providers would only pay for a limited number of doctor visits, tests, and scans.

Health insurance plans in UAE now cover eight prenatal appointments with a gynaecologist, three prenatal scans, as well as any basic blood tests, with a maximum 10% copayment.

Hospital Stay & Childbirth

Hospital stays, deliveries, and other related services are typically covered by insurance. DHA covers medically necessary C-sections up to AED 10,000 and AED 7,000, respectively, with a 10% co-payment. Without any complications, the cost of delivery may range from AED 2,000 to AED 14,000 depending on the facility.

As a result, it's critical to understand the hospital's prices when deciding which health insurance in Dubai to purchase and what might provide the most coverage.

Neo-natal care

Newborn care is a different kind of maternity insurance benefit. In accordance with the DHA's reform, medical insurance providers must cover newborns for the first 30 days following birth. 

Certain premium policies cover delivery even three months later. This type of protection is provided in the event that there are complications with the infant.

Moratorium or Waiting period

Although the DHA hasn't established any rules regarding the waiting periods, insurance providers often require a 6–12 month waiting period before a claim can be submitted on an existing maternity plan. In spite of increased competition in the insurance market, several businesses have opted to ignore the waiting time. Instant claims are now feasible as a result. In this case, it is imperative that the policy will easily get approved if the insured is not pregnant at the time of application.

Wrap Up

Though it can be quite exciting to plan a family, proper parenting also requires careful financial planning. So, it's essential to make the proper timing investments in a solid plan. Remember that health insurance maternity benefits are also subject to a number of restrictions, such as the fact that they are only offered to women who are under a specific age range that is specified in the policy. Generally speaking, the coverage does not extend to elective C-sections, multiple births, or elective pregnancy termination.