KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 (Bernama) -- Pregnancy and the journey an expectant mother experiences as she looks forward to bringing a bundle of joy into the family is a super exciting feeling. 
 
However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, that journey is also fraught with bittersweet experiences and added anxieties that make pregnancy during these trying moments, far more challenging than it should be.
 
Allianz Life Insurance Malaysia Berhad (Allianz Life) recently launched its PreciousCover and BabyCover plans which provide expectant mothers and their newborns with a full blanket of cover through a host of pre and post-natal coverages and also ensures protection for the child.
 
PreciousCover provides comprehensive coverage to mothers during and post-pregnancy while BabyCover protects against essential child critical illnesses and child development disorders.
 
Allianz Life Chief Executive Officer, Joseph Gross said the company is in the very business of protection and as such, there was no better time to rile up efforts to come up with products that could ensure that an expectant mother’s most joyful moment is covered.
 
“The plans not only offer outstanding coverage but come with unique elements to take care of the mother and child end-to-end and to ensure a pregnancy with the least amount of worries.
 
 “Expecting a child is an exciting journey, with the parents-to-be looking forward to plan and prepare many things for the child, from prenatal insurance plans to preparing for the future.  However, COVID-19 puts expectant mothers in a more fragile state, where they worry so much about the unexpected that they lose out on enjoying the very joys of motherhood.
 
“With PreciousCover and BabyCover, we put a lot of effort into understanding their challenges and tailored products that were very specific to their needs.  It was crucial for the company to do this as  pregnant women who contracted COVID-19 were found to have an increased risk of severe pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia,” he said.
 
In addition, rates of stillbirth and maternal deaths rose by around a third during the COVID-19 pandemic, with pregnancy outcomes getting worse overall for both babies and mothers worldwide.
 
Unlike the standard prenatal insurance plans, a very unique feature of PreciousCover and BabyCover is that the plans also cover singleton pregnancies from assisted reproduction techniques including IntraUterine Insemination, IntraCervical Insemination, and In vitro fertilisation.
 
On top of that, among the distinctive benefits for newborns under the PreciousCover plan are compassionate care benefits if warded into Intensive Care Unit, High-Dependency Unit, and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, as well as Phototherapy Treatment Benefit without the need for hospitalisation.
 
 “The coverage doesn’t end there. Another aspect which makes the pregnancy more challenging is that some of these expectant mothers not only have to deal with these physical drawbacks but the mental anguish and stress that comes with all their worries,” Gross said.
 
“As such, PreciousCover was developed to include psychotherapy treatment benefit for mothers for conditions such as Major Depressive Disorder and Generalised Anxiety Disorders. PreciousCover is divided into Plan 15,000 and Plan 30,000. The benefits range from a RM250 to RM500 per day for hospitalisation benefit and RM15,000 to RM30,000 for death due to childbirth or pregnancy complications,” Allianz Life Chief Product Officer Ooi Haw Yun said.
 
“As for the child, the death benefit is up to RM5,000. PreciousCover also provides coverage against 19 congenital conditions for children up to age five. This benefit pays up to RM20,000 when the child is diagnosed with one of the conditions,” he added.
 
Under the PreciousCover and BabyCover plans, Allianz Life is also providing a careline support for mothers in the form of medical advice on maternal and children’s health with medical professionals from Sunway Medical Centre.
 
In conjunction with the launch of these products, Allianz Life is organising the “PreciousCover & BabyCover” Facebook Contest, which will be running for three weeks from 12pm on 17 July until 12pm on 6 August 2021.
 
The first, second and third prize winners will bag a Shopee Voucher worth RM500, RM200 and RM100 respectively while there will be a consolation prize of a RM50 Shopee Voucher each for 10 winners. 
 
For every successful participation, Allianz Malaysia will donate RM10 to Women of Will, a Non-Governmental Organisation to support the cause of the Community Sewing Centre.*
 
Allianz Life is also collaborating with Motherhood to present Parentcraft Webinars starting from 17 July, to be held on alternate Saturdays in July and August.
 
To register for the Parentcraft Webinars, please visit www.motherhood.com.my/events. Parentcraft registrants will stand a chance to win one of the three lucky draw prizes; a Chicco Stroller, Maxi-Cosi Car Seat, and Lacte Breastpump.
 
In addition, the first 1,000 policyholders who sign up for PreciousCover and/or BabyCover will receive an exclusive Allianz Baby Box.*
 
For more details on the products and their benefits, visit https://www.allianz.com.my/preciouscover-babycover
 
*Terms and conditions apply
 
Source: Allianz Malaysia Berhad

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Shamala Gopalan
Group Head
Corporate Communications Department
Allianz Malaysia Berhad
Tel: 016.285.0685
Email: shamala.gopalan@allianz.com.my
 
Name: Gary Mark Nagan
Manager
Corporate Communications Department
Allianz Malaysia Berhad
Tel: 012.367.1450
Email: gary.nagan@allianz.com.my

--BERNAMA