Becoming a parent is one of the most joyous moments of our lives. Having a child changes us forever. What gift would you prepare as the !rst gift for the precious baby in your womb? Would it be an expensive stroller, a grand baby shower, a set of branded baby rompers or a luxurious baby cot?
As a mother of three and a professional life planner, I would suggest every pregnant mum or mum-to-be sign up for at least one comprehensive plan for your precious one. A baby plan provides extensive coverage and you can sign up for one as early as 14 weeks into your pregnancy or even earlier. There are only a few insurance companies which have launched this all-in-one baby plan in the market. That being said, what you need to do is get some advice from your trusted financial planner and also do some comparisons online.
Basically, an all-in-one baby plan enhances the coverage for your child’s early years. Your child will be covered if he or she needs to be admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Intensive Care Unit or High Dependency Unit. Your baby will also be covered if he or she is placed in incubation or is diagnosed with Neonatal Jaundice which requires phototherapy treatment. On top of that, some baby plans in the market provide coverage for Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders.
It is common to hear and read news about babies being born with congenital diseases. There are some parents who would have no choice but to look for public donations through social media due to the high cost of surgery fees to cover congenital diseases. If your precious one is diagnosed with one of the 15 covered congenital conditions (e.g. Congenital Heart Disease, Cleft Lip, etc.), baby plan will provide multiple options to cover the hospitalization fees for up to a certain amount. This plan will help ease the burden of
new parents should such situations arise.
Some baby plans in the market do o”er coverage for juvenile critical illnesses such as asthma and so on. These coverages are tailor-made for younger children as the coverage is di”erent from the coverage of normal critical illnesses in the market.
Children’s immune systems are generally weaker, hence the risk of them being exposed to juvenile critical illnesses is much higher.
Children are our future and our future leaders. Most parents will invest in their child’s education especially in their tertiary education. That being said, you can set aside some funds in the plan to help build on savings for their education. You may choose to withdraw this amount at any given time after your child comes of age. The amount invested for education under the baby plan quali!es for personal tax relief for up to RM300 per annum for medical and education insurance.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to share my personal experience. My youngest son was born with a congenital heart disease- VSD and ASD. My husband and I broke into tears when we received the news. Can you imagine our misery after just one day of joy and laughs as a result of welcoming our youngest new born? Luckily, we had signed up for a comprehensive baby plan during my pregnancy.
I would like to thank my son’s paediatric cardiologists, Dr Lim Miin Kang, Dr Leong Ming Chern, Dr Chan Tee Ling and Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr Sivakumar Sivalingam. My appreciation and heartfelt thanks for their efforts will forever remain in my heart.
