Motherhood is a cherished phase of a woman’s life, but it can also be an expensive one. From regular check-ups to hospital bills, having a baby can put a significant dent in your finances.

To ensure affordable healthcare for expectant mothers, the Indian government has introduced various maternity health schemes under the National Insurance program.

What is the National Insurance Scheme?

The National Insurance scheme is an initiative launched by the government of India with the primary goal of providing affordable healthcare to the masses.

This program offers financial assistance, compensation, and medical benefits to citizens who register under the scheme. The National Insurance scheme covers medical emergencies, critical illnesses, surgeries, and maternity-related expenses.

Importance of National Insurance for Maternity Health

Pregnancy and childbirth are unavoidable medical events in a woman’s life and bring with them unavoidable costs.

Due to harsh economic realities, expectant mothers from low-income backgrounds often compromise on the quality of healthcare services they receive. In such cases, maternal deaths and morbidity rates are usually high, which is why the National Insurance scheme is crucial.

Maternity Coverage Under National Insurance Scheme

Under the National Insurance scheme, expectant mothers can claim benefits for pre and post-hospitalization expenses, transport expenses, and delivery-related costs. The scheme also covers hospitalization expenses for the newborn for up to 90 days.

Additionally, the scheme permits a maximum of two live births per woman for availing maternity benefits.

Eligibility Criteria

Pregnant women can register under the National Insurance scheme from the 12th week of pregnancy. The eligibility criteria for enrolling in the scheme are:.

Women must be Indian nationals
Women must be between the ages of 19-45 years
They must be expecting up to their second child
They must register before starting their seventh month of pregnancy
They should not be registered under any other government health scheme

Documents Required

When registering for the National Insurance scheme, pregnant women must submit the following documents:.

Aadhar card
PAN card
Maternity certificate
Bank passbook
Income certificate
Passport-size photograph

Maternity Benefit Amount

The National Insurance scheme provides a maternity benefit amount of up to 6000 INR to pregnant women who have registered under the scheme. The amount is payable in three installments.

The first installment of 2,000 INR is paid during the seventh month of pregnancy, the second installment of 2,000 INR after delivery, and the third and last installment of 2,000 INR is paid after the vaccination of the newborn.

Insurance Providers for Maternity Health

The National Insurance scheme has collaborated with various insurance providers to offer comprehensive maternity healthcare coverage. Some of the leading insurance providers under the scheme are:.

National Health Insurance Scheme
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana
Jansani Insurance Scheme
Employee State Insurance Scheme

Advantages of National Insurance for Maternity Health

The National Insurance scheme ensures affordable maternity healthcare services for expectant mothers, which can significantly reduce maternal mortality rates.

The scheme also offers financial security to women from low-income households, enabling them to access quality healthcare without worrying about the costs involved. It also encourages greater participation of women in the workforce as they can avail of a maternity benefit amount, ensuring better financial stability for the mother and child.

Disadvantages of National Insurance for Maternity Health

Despite its many benefits, the National Insurance scheme has certain limitations. The scheme is available only to Indian nationals between the ages of 19-45 years, with a maximum of two live births.

This leaves out women who do not fit within these criteria and still require affordable maternal healthcare services, such as women from higher income backgrounds or those who have suffered miscarriages or have had more than two live births.

Conclusion

The National Insurance scheme for maternity health is a significant step towards ensuring affordable healthcare services for expectant mothers.

By enabling women to access quality healthcare services, the scheme encourages greater workforce participation and ensures better survival rates for women and children.