What is the better option regarding health insurance. maternity rider or coverage with maternity covered & why

I'm trying to figure out if it's better to have a plan with a maternity rider option or take a plan that already covers maternity. I found a plan that allows maternity rider to be added on later and the monthly premium is less per month. But regardless if it's with a rider or no- the waiting period is still 12 months.

Which way is the best option? My husband and I aren't planning for kids for another couple of years but want to be covered when the time is right.

Any maternity coverage with an individual plan is more of a pre-payment plan than insurance because the insurance company knows only people who are planning on becoming pregnant will get it. If you do the math with the waiting period and extra premium you'll find that you'll be better off paying cash for the delivery. You can save the extra premium money in a savings account or, if you have an HSA qualified plan, into the HSA account. Almost all individual policies will cover complications of pregnancy, such as a c-section, even if you don't have maternity coverage so you'll be protected on most plans.

When I was young, we made monthly payments to the doctor and when the time came, everything was paid.

Buying maternity is a waste.