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Whether you’re planning a family or you already have children – you’ll want to ensure you and your baby have access to the best possible maternity care throughout your pregnancy. Maternity health insurance for expats is no exception and we’re here to explain how we can help with that.
Lee Doran
Underwriting Manager
Maternity health insurance provides coverage for maternity care costs for pregnant women.
Maternity care is a medical term to describe the treatment and care you receive before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after childbirth.
Most hospitals (and health insurance providers) think about routine pregnancy care in three stages:
Antenatal or prenatal care simply refers to the phase between conception and birth. During this time, you’ll have regular checkups with your midwife, sonographer, and/or obstetrician to monitor the physical and mental well-being of both you and your unborn child.
Childbirth (or labour) is of course one of the most crucial stages of pregnancy. The last thing you want to worry about when you’re in labour is the cost of care for you and your newborn child – regardless of if you opt for a vaginal birth or caesarean section.
Post-natal care refers to the care you and your newborn receive after birth. Children are at their most vulnerable just after they’re born. Your midwife and birthing doctor will be on hand to perform routine treatments, examinations and basic newborn healthcare (e.g. vitamin shots, blood tests).
Having access to private healthcare during pregnancy is really important for expats because it grants you and your baby access to a high standard of maternity care that may not be available through public healthcare systems. There are a number of reasons as to why private pregnancy insurance is so important for expats:
Having a baby is a life-changing event, so not only is it essential that you are satisfied with the level of care that you receive, but it can also greatly reduce any stress or anxiety that you may feel whilst being away from your home country. That’s why all our health plans include international maternity insurance coverage for complications of pregnancy.
Our Gold plan gives you cover for routine maternity care and childbirth giving you peace of mind knowing that both you and your bump are covered from the start of your pregnancy right through to labour and beyond.
All of our plans cover maternity complications. Our Gold plan covers standard maternity care coverage, C-section deliveries, childbirth, and the health of the newborn during your hospital stay. Once you’ve had our Gold plan for 12 months, you’re eligible for maternity coverage benefits – with generous maximum claim amounts and an easy claims process. Here’s more details about what is covered in our Gold plan:
For Gold plan members we’ll pay for your newborn’s stay in hospital after the birth, and also the following routine healthcare:
We hope that your pregnancy runs smoothly and that you and your baby are healthy all the way through. If there is a medical condition that arises because of your pregnancy – either during or afterwards – we’ll normally cover inpatient or daypatient admissions in full on all of our health plans (your normal cover limits would apply).
With a Gold plan, we also cover the cost of an emergency caesarean section when the decision to have a caesarean section is unplanned and is made by your obstetrician less than 24 hours of the birth because either your life or the life of your child is in danger. In these circumstances, we’ll cover the medical costs of:
It’s important that you know what isn’t covered by this maternity benefit. If you have any questions about coverage, please call one of our policy advisors for help. Here are some medical expenses we do not cover:
Here’s a breakdown of what is and what isn’t covered for maternity care in each of our plans:
Bronze
SilverLite
Silver
Gold
We’ve made it as easy as possible for you to claim for your maternity care, and you can call one of our policy advisors at any time for help. As soon as you know you’re pregnant, let us know as soon as you can. To claim, simply follow these steps:
Step 1
Download our maternity claims form by clicking on the link below.
Step 2
Complete Section A of the form and ask your doctor to complete and sign Section B.
Step 3
Send the form along with your invoices and receipts to claims@william-russell.com. Keep the original paperwork somewhere safe for at least 12 months.
Step 4
Once we have assessed your claim, we’ll be in touch to confirm the amounts that have been reimbursed to you.
Maternity insurance for expats can be a minefield, but with an international health insurance plan from William Russell, you’re valued as a member, not a potential claimant or a policy number. From your first contact with our team, you’ll deal with a named advisor, each one an expert in pregnancy and expat maternity care. You’ll also have access to top hospitals and English speaking doctors locally.
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Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about the international maternity insurance cover on our health plans. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, or would like to speak to our award-winning customer service team, please call us on +44 1276 486 477.
The maximum amount you can claim for routine maternity care for you and your newborn (available only on Gold plans) depends on which currency your cover is in.
The cover is per pregnancy, so if you are expecting multiple births, your maternity care limit will still apply, regardless of the number of children born.
The complications of pregnancy affecting the mother benefit limit varies depending on which plan you choose. This benefit has a 12-month waiting period and as with routine maternity cover, the maximum amount you can claim depends on which currency your cover is in.
This benefit applies to the treatment that your newborn receives for a congenital condition or hereditary condition (whether diagnosed as a chronic condition or not). It covers inpatient or daypatient care received within the 90-day period following birth, and is only available for Silver and Gold members.
Please note, this cover is also only available for newborns who are added to your plan (at the same plan level) within 30 days of birth, where the premium is paid. These limits apply to each pregnancy, regardless of the number of children born.
If you’re having a planned caesarean delivery (when you have decided in advance to have a C-section), whether for medical reasons or personal reasons, you’re covered provided we have more than 24 hours notice in advance of the birth (within your routine maternity care limits).
We hope that your pregnancy runs smoothly and that you and your baby are healthy throughout. Should you run into complications though, you are covered if you need an emergency caesarean delivery when your obstetrician decides it’s in you or your baby’s bests interests.
In these circumstances, we’ll pay for:
We’ll also cover reasonable hospital accommodation costs while you recover from surgery – this includes your new baby’s stay with you in the hospital.
Yes, you must be a member for 12 months before you’re eligible for the pregnancy benefits.
Yes. You must seek our pre-authorisation before you receive maternity treatment. There’s a simple online form that you need to fill out here.
Take a moment to check that your due date falls within your policy year. If not, and you must renew your plan before your due date to ensure you continue to receive your maternity cover. Please also ensure you pay your renewal premium on time so that there is no break in your cover. If you have any questions about this, please call one of our advisors for help.
Even the most uncomplicated of pregnancies can still result in significant costs or expenses. Complications such as a caesarean section can see costs of maternity soar. Costs of maternity care vary from country to country; below are a few examples of how high maternity costs can be, based on claims we have received:
Here at William Russell, all our plans cover maternity complications. However, our Gold plan includes standard maternity care coverage, C-section deliveries, childbirth, and the health of the newborn during your hospital stay.
If you’re pregnant, you can still purchase a plan but it wouldn’t cover routine maternity care or pregnancy complications. There’s a 12-month waiting period before you can use the pregnancy benefits when you purchase a plan. However, for newborn cover, there is no waiting period.
No. Due to the substantial differences in tariffs, we do not cover any type of medical care or hospitalisation (including maternity) within the United States, Washington D.C., or the U.S. territories and islands as part of our general terms and conditions.
Our Gold plan is the best choice for maternity cover. The Gold plan from William Russell covers your entire pregnancy, childbirth, and the health of your newborn during their initial hospital stay.
A travel insurance policy may cover some (or all) treatment that you need if you suffer from complications of pregnancy. Most policies, however, won’t cover routine childbirth or a newborn’s health and well-being.
Travel policies usually cover you for short-term trips abroad; our health policies are aimed at people living abroad or spending at least 6 months of the year abroad.
Our Gold plan, which is the most suitable plan for couples planning a family, gives you cover for routine maternity care and complications of pregnancy once you’ve been insured for 12 months.
Yes, we provide insurance to people of all nationalities. However, we don’t provide coverage for maternity in the United States or its territories.
All the benefits on this webpage are per member per policy year, unless we state otherwise. We show the benefit limits in US dollars, but we can also denominate your policy in pounds sterling or Euros. You won’t find complete information for our plans on this webpage, nor the full T&Cs, limitations, and exclusions that would apply if you purchase a health insurance policy. You can find complete information in the plan agreement, which we suggest you read together with this webpage. We work hard to ensure the information we provide on this webpage is accurate and up-to-date, but inaccuracies are possible. We rectify errors as soon as we become aware of them. The T&Cs that apply to your policy are those found in your plan agreement.
At William Russell, we have over 30 years’ experience of helping expatriates move abroad and settle into their new lives overseas by providing world-class international health insurance.
Joe Holden Global Relationship Manager
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