Maternity Coverage for International Students

Posted on Friday, March 21st, 2014 at 10:00 am

family

When you’re studying internationally, choosing the right insurance plan can be daunting. You want to make sure you’re covered in case you need to seek medical attention. If you are a woman studying internationally or if your wife is traveling with you while you study internationally, maternity coverage may or may not be on your mind. Pregnancies can occur, planned or not, and health care for it can be expensive. Maternity benefits are an important part of a comprehensive international student insurance plan.

Check out our Student Secure insurance that could cover maternity

A typical pregnancy includes prenatal care, delivery, and postnatal care with a doctor to ensure a healthy baby and mother. Prenatal care includes visits and check-ups with the doctor before the baby is born. It includes ultrasounds and other tests to make sure the baby is developing in a healthy way. If your pregnancy is considered high-risk because of your age or health conditions, you may require more frequent visits and special care. You may also need to see a doctor who works with high-risk pregnancies. Without insurance, prenatal care alone typically costs around $2,000 or more in the USA.

The delivery of a baby includes a hospital stay which can vary in length depending on the type of birth and complications, and is the most expensive portion of the pregnancy. Delivery can range in cost from around $3,000 for uncomplicated vaginal births, around $5,000 for cesarean, to over $7,000 for complicated births. Postnatal care lasts six to eight weeks after the birth and ensures the physical and emotional health of the mother and baby.

light bulb importantMost insurance plans will not cover a pregnancy if you are pregnant before your plan starts – so think ahead!

All of these expenses add up fast and if your insurance plan does not include maternity coverage you might find yourself in a tight spot. Additionally, most insurance plans will not cover a pregnancy if you become pregnant before your policy becomes effective – so think ahead! Our Major Medical plan – the Global Medical – has an optional maternity rider that you can add to your policy for an additional annual premium. This plan, however, does have a 12-month waiting period before you can receive full maternity benefits.

Maternity coverage is one of many important considerations when choosing your insurance plan. For more information, please visit our Insurance Explained section or contact our friendly customer service representatives.

Blog Updated on 9/21/18. Please click here to learn more about coverage for maternity:  https://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/blog/2018/09/maternity-coverage-for-international-students.html

Category: Insurance Explained, International Student Health Insurance, International Students in the USA, Student Insurance

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Posted by Victoria Troupe

Victoria is currently a marketing specialist with Envisage International. She has had the opportunity to live and study around the world, including Germany, Poland, and China. A native of Wyoming, Victoria received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Wyoming, her MBA from the University of North Florida and her Master's of Intercultural Communication from Fachhochschule Köln, in Cologne, Germany.

26 thoughts on “Maternity Coverage for International Students”

LucyAnna says:
July 12, 2022 at 5:30 am

Hello,
I am from Nigeria and considering undertaking a master’s degree in Estonia. I also want to get pregnant midway, as I am married and hoping to have a kid soon. What insurance plan do you recommend?

Alexis Ponce says:
September 19, 2022 at 9:41 am

Hello Lucy,

Thanks for your comment. You are eligible for the Student Secure plan as long as you’re a full time student in Estonia. We recommend the Select or Elite levels, since those offer up to $10,000 and $25,000 USD (respectively) for maternity as long as the pregnancy occurs after the effective date of coverage. Please keep in mind that outside of the USA the coverage works mostly on a reimbursement basis.

Best of luck!

floryndeo says:
February 21, 2021 at 7:18 am

I am currently pregnant and will be on F-1 visa resuminh in august 2021, how can I get cheaper healthcare.

Thank you

Alexis Ponce says:
March 10, 2021 at 11:41 am

Hi,

Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, if you’re currently pregnant we do not have a plan that can cover your maternity related expenses. We advise that you consult with your international student advisor about any state programs that might be available to you that might help in receiving cheaper healthcare.

Best of luck!

Maria Fransisca says:
July 14, 2018 at 1:13 am

Hi,
I am a full time student in California so I am under F1 visa right now. I will finish my study in 9months and planning to do OPT after I graduate. I am planning to get married in 4 months. Me and my fiance are planning to have baby right away after we get married. Do you have any insurance for International Student that can apply for OPT visa, that cover for maternity and delivery ? and doesn’t have a 12 months waiting period ?

Thank you in advance.

Yessica Prato says:
July 16, 2018 at 9:58 am

Hello Maria,

Thanks for your comment. I would recommend our Student Secure plan which offers maternity coverage in the Budget, Select, and Elite levels as long as you are not currently pregnant and as long as you maintain a valid F1 visa (even on your OPT). I have sent you an email with more information about it.

Have a great day!

Huailong says:
January 9, 2018 at 5:56 pm

Hi Yessica,

My girlfriend is currently a J1 visa holder as a visiting scholar in the US. She works full-time here but is only getting paid by her employer in China. She is planning to get pregnant in couple of months. Which plan would you suggest to cover the maternity fee in case she is the primary insured without any dependent?

Thanks

Yessica Prato says:
January 9, 2018 at 6:00 pm

Hi Huailong,

Thanks for your comment. As long as your girlfriend is not currently pregnant and maintains a valid J1 visa, she is eligible for coverage under the Student Secure plan. The levels Budget, Select, and Elite will offer maternity coverage for an eligible pregnancy. I have sent you more details about this to your email.

Have a great day!

emily says:
January 4, 2018 at 11:13 am

i’m pregnant now, but will go there study ESL, could i join student insurance and covered the maternity fee?

Yessica Prato says:
January 4, 2018 at 11:41 am

Hi Emily,

Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, if you are already pregnant, our plans will not cover your maternity expenses. Our Atlas Travel plan offers coverage for complications of pregnancy for the first 26 weeks. I have sent you more information about this to your email.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Rebecca says:
November 2, 2017 at 2:40 pm

Hello,
I am holding a F2 visa. My husband and I plan to get pregnant in a few months. May I ask what plan should I pick? And what’s the 12-month waiting period? Does that mean you would start to cover the pregnancy after 12 month I bought the plan and not cover if I get pregnant in the the first several months after I bought? Thank you very much.

Yessica Prato says:
November 2, 2017 at 2:59 pm

Hi Rebecca,

Thanks for your comment! For you I would recommend our Global Medical plan – Platinum which covers maternity for F2 visa holders. I have email you more information about the plan.

Have a nice day!

Mehwish says:
August 6, 2017 at 9:54 pm

If student from other country like pakistan studying in netherland and during her study period she got pregnant so is it allowed for student to get pregnant and what help the university will provide or a student should have to spend her own money for prenatal and antenatal period??

Yessica Prato says:
August 7, 2017 at 8:27 am

Hi Mewish,

Thanks for your comment. While you are able to become pregnant as an international student, the university is not required to provide any type of financial assistance, however, you can confirm with your university. We would recommend having an insurance plan that offers maternity coverage. You will have to pay out of pocket for your expenses most of the time for prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care if you don’t have an insurance plan.

If you are not currently pregnant and you are a full time international student at a college or university in the Netherlands, you can purchase the Student Secure plan – levels Budget, Select, or Elite. They provide maternity coverage as well as newborn care.

Best of luck!

Chandra Pratap says:
October 29, 2016 at 11:34 pm

Hello,
What if during delivery someone insured could not pay the balance copay amount?
Insurance from united healthcare

Sutherland Beever says:
October 30, 2016 at 1:31 pm

Hi Chandra,

Thanks for your comment and I’m sorry to hear of your situation. There are many things that you can do to help lower your medical bills. Here’s a blog on the subject that may be of help to you: http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/blog/2016/08/dont-insurance-medical-bills-pay.html.

jun says:
August 25, 2015 at 9:40 am

I click the link above and try to apply budget plan, then adding spouse and son. why it doesn’t provide the blank to fill in those information?

Victoria Troupe says:
August 25, 2015 at 10:54 am

Jun, the Budget and all of the levels of the Student Secure plan no longer allow you to add dependents. Instead, check out the Global Medical plan for maternity coverage: http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/major-medical-insurance/

Kathy says:
February 1, 2015 at 5:09 pm

Hi,
I wanted to ask if all testing recommended by the doctor is coverd during preganancy? Or do you have any limits or exclusions?

Victoria Troupe says:
February 2, 2015 at 9:52 am

Hi Kathy, as long as the conception takes place during the coverage period, the Student Secure Budget and Select plans will cover all pre-natal testing. You can view a full list of the benefits here: http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/student-health-insurance/benefits.php

Nanice says:
January 13, 2015 at 11:32 pm

Hello, I am already pregnant (27 weeks) and I have health insurance that is to expensive for me right now. I want to know if when switching my insurance to one of these plan, my pregnancy will be covered or not.

Victoria Troupe says:
January 14, 2015 at 9:38 am

Hi Nanice! A pre-existing pregnancy will not be covered by any of our plans. I recommend keeping your existing plan if they are covering your maternity costs. Switching plans comes with the risk of pre-existing conditions not being covered for a waiting period or at all.

Daisy says:
January 5, 2015 at 6:01 pm

Hello, how much will it cover for the maternity? 100% percent?

Victoria Troupe says:
January 6, 2015 at 9:34 am

Hi Daisy. The Select level of our International Student Health plan covers 80% of maternity costs if you use a PPO provider. The Budget level will cover 80% if you use a PPO provider or 60% up to $5,000 outside of the PPO network.
You can apply for the plan here: https://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/student-health-insurance/apply/

Bisiriyu Fatimoh says:
December 2, 2014 at 5:22 pm

Good day,
Please I want to ask if the insurance for international covers child birth.

Victoria Troupe says:
December 3, 2014 at 12:40 pm

Hi Bisiriyu. Our international student plan includes maternity coverage and child birth for a pregnancy that occurs during the coverage period if you choose the Select level. Pre-existing pregnancies are not covered. Here’s the link for more information: http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/student-health-insurance/

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