Did You Know You Can Get FREE Health Coverage for Your Newborn?

What if, God forbid, your baby is born with a birth defect and requires intensive care, can you afford the hospital bills that come with it? Read on to discover how you will be able to, without any additional costs.

The birth of a baby should always be a joyful thing, but some new parents have to deal with more than just wet diapers and sleepless nights. Their new infant isn’t as healthy as they had hoped, and may even have to be admitted into the neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) due to complications from a birth defect. It may require multiple surgeries or long-term care. While expectant parents never want to have to consider such possibilities, it’s important that our babies are protected, right from the start.

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But What If…?

What if my baby needs attention in the NICU? What if there is a treatment or surgery that will help my baby, but we can’t afford it? What if I have to quit my job to care for a sickly baby? These are just some of the difficult questions that go through parents’ minds when the doctors break the bad news. On top of the heartache, fear and worry, they also have to struggle with the ever-growing hospital bills.

But what if we told you that your baby can get complimentary newborn health coverage?

No, there is nothing any healthcare plan can do to heal your baby or assuage the pain. However, having a suitable one means that you don’t have to worry about the costs. This way, you can put your focus wholly on caring for your child. So while we would rather not think negative ‘What if?’ thoughts when we’re happily pregnant, it’s important that we plan for the unexpected.

Baby, You Were Born This Way

A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is a condition that exists at birth or even before birth. There are several causes – some may be genetic, while others are due to environmental triggers, or a combination of both. Such congenital disorders will more often than not require newborns to be admitted to the NICU. Let’s look at a few of the more common congenital illnesses.

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Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) and Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) − Often called ‘hole in the heart’ in layman’s terms, this is when a hole in the wall separating the two sides of the heart allows blood from both sides to mix.

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) − This is when the diaphragm, the sheet of muscle separating the chest and tummy, has a rupture in it. It also means that organs in baby’s tummy can push through, preventing the lungs from developing properly.

Cerebral Palsy (CP) − CP is a blanket term for a group of physical disorders where motor skills involving balance, movement and muscle coordination are impaired. It is caused by brain damage due to an injury or infection that occurs before or during birth.

Spina Bifida (SB) − The neural tube is a structure that develops into a baby’s brain and spinal cord. SB occurs when the neural tube doesn’t develop or close properly, leading to defects in the spinal cord and bones of the spine.

Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip − A cleft refers to a gap which occurs when tissues in the mouth and lip do not develop properly. It may be a minor notch in the upper lip, or a wide fissure extending through the palate (roof of the mouth) and into the nose.

About 15 per cent of newborns require neonatal intensive care upon birth, so it is crucial that your child is covered from day one.

Enjoy Peace of Mind

Thankfully, now there are options whereby you can automatically enjoy complimentary baby care and family care coverage. Yes, you read right – it’s FREE! This is Singapore’s first-ever maternity package that comes with newborn health coverage attached, at no additional cost. Here are the complimentary benefits:

Be automatically covered by AIA Baby Care. AIA Baby Care is a one-year complimentary plan that pays a daily hospitalisation benefit (up to $500 per day) in the event that your newborn is admitted to the NICU due to any of the listed 20 congenital illnesses (including those briefly described above; click here to request for the full list and definitions).
Enjoy coverage under AIA Family Care. AIA Family Care is a one-year complimentary personal accident plan for you, your spouse and children. Benefits include reimbursement of medical bills incurred due to an accident, recuperation benefits, and lump sum payouts for accidental death.

This means that just by signing up for your maternity package, your newborn baby is protected right from day one, all the way till their first birthday! Furthermore, AIA Baby Care plan complements MediShield Life, meaning parents can benefit from both AIA Baby Care and MediShield Life in terms of bill coverage. This added coverage translates to added peace of mind. Plus, your entire family gets accident coverage for a year, with no additional charges!