A recent story about a Canadian mother being charged almost $1 million when her baby was born prematurely during a holiday in Hawaii highlights just how integral maternity cover is when living or travelling abroad. So when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth overseas, 'important' is an understatement. When there are two lives to take into consideration, you shouldn't leave anything to chance. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of the implications that pregnancy and childbirth overseas can have concerning maternity cover.
Our team of maternity cover advisors were recently contacted by a woman who had fallen pregnant while abroad, looking for health insurance to cover the birth. However, since she was already pregnant, no insurance companies could offer her the private health insurance maternity cover she was searching for.
This is due to the fact that when an insurance company covers an individual, the cost is based on a variety of factors, including age, pre-existing medical conditions, location and many more. The cost of maternity cover is not only based on these factors but also the potential costs that any required treatment would incur. When somebody is already pregnant, there are guaranteed expenses that the insurance company will have to cover at some stage during maternity, childbirth and aftercare overseas. This makes covering a pregnant individual impractical for insurance companies and not worth the risk.
Whether you are planning a child or not; if there is any risk of falling pregnant, especially in an area where you will not be eligible for free local health care, you must take out an international private medical insurance policy that includes maternity cover. Furthermore, if you know anyone who is trying for a child or could also be left in a vulnerable position, then also make them aware of the implications that childbirth can have with medical insurance.
