What Is A Maternity Rider On Health Insurance? 
Maternity riders are dinosaurs . They became extinct January of 2014 with passage of the Affordable Car Act . Previously , most individual health insurance plans did not cover normal childbirth . A maternity rider added this coverage to these policies . The rider came with a long waiting period , or with a large deductible . The Affordable Care Act requires that all health care plan cover ten essential health benefits which now include maternity and newborn care , and hospitalizations with no waiting period . The maternity rider is no longer needed . 