# Maternity benefit cover & waiting periods



## wobbie (14 May 2008)

Hi All,

I am currently looking into private health insurance for my wife & I.
We are planning to try for our first baby (no luck yet!!) and i am wondering about waiting periods for maternity benifits.
Since we have no cover at the moment what is the situation with waiting periods?
From what i can work out VHI have a 1 year waiting period, Do vivas & Quinn have the same periods ?

Many thanks for your help.


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## ClubMan (14 May 2008)

*Re: Maternity benifits & waiting periods*

The policy booklet/documentation should explain everything you need to know. The HIA website also has some useful consumer info on the different health insurance products on offer.


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## scuby (14 May 2008)

*Re: Maternity benifits & waiting periods*

http://www.quinn-healthcare.com/html/waiting.htm
1 year with Quinn

can't find the vivas one, but more than likely the same


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## footsteps (15 May 2008)

*Re: Maternity benifits & waiting periods*

Can I just ask is the one year period from the time you change/join policy to time of birth of child?
So realistically, you could just have a 3 months wait before trying for baby?


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## ClubMan (15 May 2008)

*Re: Maternity benifits & waiting periods*

I suspect that it's a year (or whatever) from joining to the start of the pregnancy. Once again a read of the detailed terms & conditions of the relevant policies should clarify.


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## ClubMan (15 May 2008)

*Re: Maternity benifits & waiting periods*

This poster suggests two years for all but that conflicts with the info posted about _Quinn _above.


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## scuby (15 May 2008)

*Re: Maternity benifits & waiting periods*

it's one year from the date you join. 
eg.  join on 15th may 2008, and if baby is born on 16th may 2009, your covered


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## ClubMan (15 May 2008)

*Re: Maternity benifits & waiting periods*

As I mentioned elsewhere - surely it's a year to the date of the start of the pregnancy and not the birth of the baby for maternity benefits?


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## NovaFlare77 (15 May 2008)

*Re: Maternity benifits & waiting periods*

The maternity waiting period for all 3 insurers is 52 weeks from the date of joining (assuming noprevious insurance). This means that pregnancy related treatment received in the first 52 weeks is not covered, irrespective of when the person becomes pregnant. If the treatment is received after the 52 weeks  is served (e.g. the baby is born a day after the waiting period is completed) then you're covered up to the benefit level of your scheme.

This waiting period doesn't apply to the out-patient consultant maternity benefit (so visits to consultants can be still claimed in-line with the benefit of your scheme) but may apply to other maternity-related out-patient benefits, so check with your insurer how the waiting period would work for the out-patient cover.


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## scuby (18 May 2008)

*Re: Maternity benifits & waiting periods*



ClubMan said:


> As I mentioned elsewhere - surely it's a year to the date of the start of the pregnancy and not the birth of the baby for maternity benefits?



from DOB and not the start of the pregnancy.
it would cause some confusion if a claim were to be rejected on the 1year waiting period, if the person could not give the exact date they got pregnant


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## ClubMan (19 May 2008)

*Re: Maternity benifits & waiting periods*



scuby said:


> from DOB and not the start of the pregnancy.
> it would cause some confusion if a claim were to be rejected on the 1year waiting period, if the person could not give the exact date they got pregnant


Can't the medical staff estimate the date of conception pretty accurately during ante natal care?


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## scuby (19 May 2008)

*Re: Maternity benifits & waiting periods*



ClubMan said:


> Can't the medical staff estimate the date of conception pretty accurately during ante natal care?



could do maybe, but alot easier and less grief for everyone if it goes by DOB, at least it's alot clearer for everyone when the years waiting period starts/finishes.
could be a big grey area, dr stating one date and mother says it was another... 

could get messy with all those raging hormones !


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## NovaFlare77 (22 May 2008)

Also, the maximum waiting periods that any health insurer can enforce are laid out in the health insurance legislation and for the maternity benefit waiting period the regulations state:

"no maternity benefit shall be payable for the period of 52 weeks next following a person being named as an insured person".

In other words, it can only be applied from when the person joins, not from when the person becomes pregnant.

See [broken link removed].


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## Boi (26 May 2008)

Hi.
waiting period is 52 weeks from date you joined,not from date of pregnancy.I got pregnant dec 2006,switched from BUPA to VIVAS june 2007.I was told i will be covered immediately for maternity benefits(as i had served waiting periods with BUPA) but i will have to wait 52 weeks for the other maternity benefits that VIVAS offered that were not offered by BUPA.date of conception wasnt a factor.


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