Pregnancy medical insurance
Hello girls, in today’s article I’m going to give you my personal opinion on whether it is necessary to have a medical insurance during pregnancy. You all know that I live in Spain and therefore, my experience is based in this country, but those of you living in other countries can also take note.
Pregnancy is one of the most wonderful experiences you can go through in your life. Not because of the process itself, which we already know can be exhausting, annoying, and full of ups and downs, but because of the final result: being able to finally hold your baby after so many ups and downs is a shot of life and joy like no other in the world.
However, just because pregnancy is something completely natural does not mean it is exempt from possible complications. During the nine months of gestation, our body goes through a myriad of changes and must be prepared to face any type of complication. And childbirth itself is still a medical procedure with very real risks. A very high percentage of births end in cesarean sections which, after all, is a surgery. Common, true, but we are talking about surgery, and that always entails its risks.
Do we need medical insurance during pregnancy?
We (I also speak for my partner) believe that: without a doubt.
The oft-criticized Social Security is a very necessary good in our current society, and Spanish medical staff is among the best rated in the world. However, the direct consequence of being a universal right is having a continuously overwhelmed healthcare service. If we are talking about needing continuous care for at least nine months, having a medical insurance that covers pregnancy and childbirth will more than reward the added cost.
First of all, the attention will be completely personalized. In addition to being able to choose the doctor you want, they will not find themselves in the situation of having to attend to ten other patients in the next thirty minutes. When you make an appointment with your doctor, you can be completely sure that the treatment will be thorough and completely dedicated. Also, they will be able to follow the evolution of the pregnancy more consistently. No more waiting two months just to be given an appointment: if you want to be seen next Wednesday, you can be sure that they will.
What is the waiting period of a pregnancy medical insurance?
If you are looking to have a baby and still do not have a private pregnancy and childbirth insurance, you need to keep in mind the waiting period of the insurance. The waiting period is the time that passes between the moment of hiring the insurance and the moment when the insured can begin to enjoy its guarantees. This means, you may hire the pregnancy insurance on March 1st, become pregnant three months later and... your insurance won’t cover it because there is a waiting period of 6 months!
As a reference, regarding pregnancy and childbirth insurance, this waiting period usually hovers around 8 months. For this reason, if we are looking to have a child in the near future, the best we can do is start looking for alternatives now to hire a good health insurance for pregnancy and ensure that, when the time comes, we are completely protected against any eventuality. There are insurances without waiting periods for pregnant women (we will show you some soon), but if you want to have a good set of alternatives to choose from that best fit your needs, it will be better to start your search right now.
Of course, the waiting period only affects certain coverages of the insurance and is invalidated for medical emergencies. To stay calm, it is best to check the coverages that are exempt during the waiting period in your medical insurance and stick to the one that convinces you the most, although undoubtedly the best thing is to avoid this period altogether by hiring it with enough advanced notice.
What is the best medical insurance for pregnancy?
It will depend on your needs, but to help you choose a good insurance, we have made a small list of those which, in our opinion, offer the best guarantees. We have based our selection on the companies that receive the best ratings from their clients according to OCU. Prices will always depend on your age, place of residence and previous medical history, but we will include some average base prices for comparison. Let’s go for it!
Cigna medical insurance
This insurance company has excellent references from its clients, so we have no doubt they do an outstanding job. Their cheapest service that includes pregnancy and maternity costs about 43 euros on average and includes childbirth preparation classes, a single room with a companion bed, complete follow-up during pregnancy, a 3D fetal ultrasound, total coverage of newborn expenses during the first 7 days while hospitalized, and health examinations of our baby. As a “negative” note, it has a waiting period of 8 months.
Axa health insurance
Another heavyweight in health insurance and also very well rated. As in the previous case, they also have waiting periods and depending on the contracted modality, childbirth preparation classes may enter as co-payment. It offers assisted reproduction services, but here waiting time rises to two years. If we think about having children in the long run and we want to be covered against possible complications in conception, this is an excellent option. The cheapest modality that might interest us costs about 29 euros. If we want a 3D ultrasound, the price soars to about 65 on average.
IMQ pregnancy medical insurance
If you reside in Bizkaia, you probably won’t find better private service than IMQ. They have very comprehensive services regarding maternity and childbirth, and the new building they have constructed in Zorrotzaurre is among the best equipped in Spain. They also offer pelvic floor rehabilitation sessions after childbirth, something often underestimated by typical clinics but extremely necessary. Ultrasounds, pre-birth classes, home midwives, dental health during pregnancy... They also have a waiting period of 8 months.
Similar to the previous ones although there are certain services that are not included, so it is best to consult directly. With about 50 euros on average, if we have contracted another type of insurance with Mapfre, the fee will be significantly reduced. Again, 8 months of waiting is the usual trend.
Asisa insurance for pregnant women
The good part about Asisa is that they have countless types of medical insurance, so you can obtain one that best suits you without any doubt. The downside is —again— that they have countless types of medical insurance, so it will take a while for you to browse through all of them to find your ideal insurance. They have quite competitive prices and a waiting period of 8 months for childbirth and 6 for other special diagnostic means during pregnancy.
Sanitas, medical insurance without waiting period during pregnancy
If you have been looking for medical insurance without waiting period you have finally found it, as long as you get pregnant after the insurance has been hired. However, childbirth has a waiting period of 8 months. As an extra note, they have pilates and physiotherapy classes for pregnant women, although currently only in Madrid.
We hope this article has been helpful to you and has cleared up your doubts regarding the insurances you can hire if you are looking for a baby. We look forward to seeing you in the next one!
