Key takeaways: Does health insurance cover pregnancy, childbirth or maternity care?

Most health insurance won’t cover routine pregnancy, childbirth or maternity care, although they may cover complications that happen during pregnancy or childbirth.

Your health insurer may be able to provide support through GP services and access to health information, and you may be able to speak to a midwife on a helpline. Being pregnant shouldn’t affect your policy or your premiums, and you can usually add your new baby to your plan.

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Does health insurance cover pregnancy, childbirth or maternity care?

Most health insurers don’t cover routine pregnancy, childbirth or maternity care, but they may be able to support you in other ways if you’re pregnant or a new parent.

Health insurers don’t usually cover routine pregnancy, childbirth or maternity care because the NHS provides care for these, and you won’t need to go on a waiting list.

This means a private health insurer is unlikely to cover antenatal or postnatal monitoring, scans, blood tests or checkups. The NHS offers these as part of its maternity care.

Health insurers may be able to provide some limited cover for pregnancy and maternity care. For example, they might cover:

  • complications during pregnancy
  • medical conditions that develop during pregnancy
  • medical conditions that develop during or after childbirth.

You can also add a new baby to your cover straightaway. If you didn’t have any kind of fertility treatment, the baby usually won’t have any existing conditions to be excluded from their cover.

What support could health insurance provide for pregnancy, childbirth, maternity and new parenthood?

Most health insurers provide additional services with your health insurance to support your health and wellbeing, such as a GP service or a health support line.

AXA Health has a 24/7 health support line, where experienced midwives are on hand to help. They can answer any questions you might have – for example, questions about:

  • changes in early pregnancy
  • miscarriage
  • anxiety and depression before or after childbirth
  • childbirth options
  • adapting to parenthood
  • early developmental stages
  • returning to work after having a baby.

The 24/7 Health support line cannot respond to emergencies. In the event you require an urgent response or have a medical emergency you'll need to call 111/999 or attend A&E.

Will health insurance cover fertility treatment?

Most health insurers won’t cover fertility treatment as standard. Your policy documents will tell you what you’re covered for, or you can get in touch with your insurer to check if you’re not sure. This includes IVF as well as other forms of fertility treatment.

If you have a medical condition that affects your reproductive system, and need treatment that’s not related to conceiving or having a baby, your health insurer may cover this. But they will usually need to ask if your treatment is related to improving fertility.

Can I have my baby in a private hospital, or have pregnancy or maternity care privately?

Yes, you can pay to have your baby privately, or pay for pregnancy and maternity care yourself. However, your health insurer may not pay towards these costs. Most private specialists and consultants will be able to give you an estimate of how much you’ll need to pay.

When considering private healthcare for childbirth, consider what will happen if things go wrong. Many private hospitals don’t have emergency departments, which could mean you need to be transferred to an NHS hospital if something goes wrong. You can still use the NHS if you’ve had some of your care privately.

Do I need to tell my health insurer if I’m pregnant?

You don’t need to tell your health insurer if you’re pregnant. It won’t change the cost of your policy.

However, you may want to check with your insurer about any services they have that could support you – for example, AXA Health has midwives at the end of the phone to support expecting families and new parents.

Will being pregnant affect my health insurance? 

Your health insurer shouldn’t make any changes to your plan because you’re pregnant. Your premiums should stay the same until your plan is due for renewal, when they’ll be reviewed as normal.

Can I add my new baby to my health insurance?

You can usually add your new baby to your health insurance. With AXA Health, we’ll usually give you free cover for your new arrival until your next renewal date. 

If you add your baby within a set period after their birth, your health insurer may offer you cover without excluding any existing conditions. However, if you had fertility treatment of any kind to have your baby, their rules may be different.  

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Reviewed by Dr Corné HurterDr Hurter bio profile photo

I was appointed Medical Director for Services and Delivery at AXA Health in January 2026. Before then, I spent 10 years working at HCA UK in roles such as Medical Director for Care Transformation and Director of Medical Services.

During my time at HCA UK, I was part of the first cohort of doctors to complete a Medical Management and Leadership Master’s degree. 

I’m passionate about patient care and innovation that supports care delivery to patients in a manner which is sustainable and value-driven.

I’m excited to be using my experience to make a real difference to members and the service we provide.