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All You Need To Know About Maternity Insurance in the UK

Mums-to-be in the UK generally don’t have to worry about maternity insurance coverage, as the country is home to a comprehensive taxpayer-funded National Health Service (NHS) that provides maternity care to all citizens and legal residents.

However, associated with long waiting times, many expat women give the NHS a pass to opt for the private healthcare sector. If this sounds appealing to you, securing private maternity insurance in the UK can help you avoid hefty out-of-pocket payments.

In this Pacific Prime UK article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about health insurance that covers pregnancy.

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Private Birth: Pros and Cons

If you don’t mind spending more for the best possible care, or worry that your pregnancy might be classed as high-risk or about unexpected complications, then going private is a sensible option. You’ll get:

  • Immediate consultations and treatments, without being put on a waiting list.
  • Better range of options for specialist doctors and medical facilities that may not be available in the NHS.
  • Access to the same obstetrician throughout your pregnancy and labour.
  • More attentive care and extra comfort.

With that said, a private birth in the UK is remarkably expensive. For instance, at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ in London, a package for a normal or assisted delivery costs GBP £5,995, or GBP £7,250 for a C-section. This is only for delivery, excluding obstetrician, anesthetist, or neonatologist fees.

In some cases, these extra costs could be just as much as the delivery itself, so make sure you account for this. You also have to pay GBP £950 for each extra night in the hospital. Given the costs of a private birth, being in possession of pregnancy insurance in the UK can save you thousands.

This is why you need to consider whether you’ll stick with the NHS or turn to the private healthcare sector during the pregnancy planning stage.

This is an important decision because it’ll be the basis of whether you should get maternity insurance coverage or not. Make sure you understand the ins and outs of the UK healthcare system before you make your decision.

Coverage through Maternity Insurance

Maternity insurance can be incredibly useful, but it’s important to know what usually is and isn’t covered. It’s important to note that insurers typically view pregnancy and childbirth as lifestyle choices as opposed to medical conditions, so this has affected how much they are willing to pay.

If you’re wondering what is the best insurance for maternity coverage, you should know that not all plans were created the same and the best way to find out what coverage is provided is to speak to an advisor. But here are some basic pointers to get you acquainted with the subject.

What You’ll be Able to Claim

Costs of private maternity care needed for emergencies or complications are covered by insurers. In most cases, these tend to include:

  • C-sections
  • Eclampsia
  • Miscarriage
  • Gestational diabetes
  • Stillbirth
  • Retained placenta
  • Hydatidiform mole
  • Ectopic pregnancy
  • Breech
  • Ruptured membrane

It’s advisable to read the policy fine print to see how the insurer defines pregnancy-related emergencies. Some plans may also offer newborn coverage without the need for newborn underwriting. This means your bundle of joy will be covered from day 1.

What You’ll Not be Able to Claim

Antenatal care (sometimes called prenatal) is not popular with insurers as it isn’t a health complication. Here are some other things you may struggle to get coverage for:

  • IVF and fertility treatment
  • Routine checkups and pregnancy classes
  • Health conditions that aren’t directly connected to pregnancy such as morning sickness, backaches, or other pains
  • Obstetrician fees

However, it may be possible to be covered for a number of these in both the UK and abroad if you choose an international health insurance plan. Otherwise, you could either pay for private healthcare yourself or go to the NHS for antenatal care and other healthcare services not covered.

For those of you new to the UK, your first point of contact with the NHS is your general practitioner (GP). If you don’t already have a GP, you can easily find and register with one.

Contact Pacific Prime UK to Secure Maternity Insurance For Your Needs and Budget

You should secure a maternity insurance policy before you get pregnant due to a clause known as “waiting periods”. This is essentially the amount of time you have to possess the insurance before you can make a claim.

Don’t worry if you get pregnant before your wait time is up. If you’re close to the end of the period, you may still be able to make claims for delivery (which is generally the most expensive part of the process).

For information regarding this and more, check out our maternity insurance infographic and guide, or watch our short video below:

And of course, the cost of premium is very important and will vary depending on the insurer, it is of utmost importance to conduct a holistic comparison of available plans in the market.

When comparing plans, bear in mind these tips:

  • Read the fine print to see what it covers and excludes. If in doubt, ask an advisor.
  • Check the costs of the monthly premiums.
  • Be sure you understand any policy limits or co-pays.
  • Most importantly, take into account the waiting period.

Get in touch with Pacific Prime UK to find the most cost-effective plan without compromising on your needs. As a brokerage with 20+ years of experience, we can help you find individual, family, maternity and newborn insurance. For a consultation or no-obligation comparison and quote, contact us today!

Senior Content Creator at Pacific Prime UK
Suphanida is a Senior Content Creator at Pacific Prime, an award-winning global health insurance and employee benefits specialist.

With over 5 years of experience in the field, Suphanida spends the majority of her day synthesizing complex pieces of insurance-related information and translating this into easy-to-understand, engaging, and effective content across a variety of media such as articles, infographics, whitepapers, videos, and more.

Suphanida is also responsible for planning and publishing three whitepapers released annually by Pacific Prime: The State of Health Insurance Report, The Cost of Health Insurance Report, and The Global Employee Benefits Trends Report. Additionally, she handles the LinkedIn profiles of Pacific Prime’s Founder and CEO, as well as Global HR Lead.

Suphanida’s strengths lie in her strong research and analytical skills, which she has gained from her BA in Politics from the University of Warwick and Erasmus Mundus Joint MA in Journalism from Aarhus University and City, University of London.

Being of Thai-Indian origin and having lived, studied, and worked in Thailand, the UK, and Denmark, Suphanida also has a unique, multicultural perspective that helps her understand the struggles of expats and globetrotters.

Outside of work, she enjoys traveling to new places and immersing herself in different cultures.
Suphanida Thakral