Having health insurance is always the best practice when you are about to have a baby. Whether you have a job that pays for your policy or you have a policy that you have taken out yourself, you will want to make sure that your pregnancies are covered. Many individuals are surprised that they have no prenatal coverage once they become pregnant. If you have just started at a new job or you are joining your spouse’s plan then make sure you understand the rules. Some companies will put restrictions on how soon you can conceive and receive coverage. These time frames can vary from three months to a year. Another great reason to check before you conceive is that 87% of individual plans do not cover any pregnancy costs. If you have your own policy, you can purchase a maternity rider from your company that will cover the costs of your pregnancy.
If you cannot afford insurance coverage or you were not covered when you got pregnant then there may be options for you. There are several government programs that offer care to women if they are pregnant and without insurance. You will need to contact a representative to find which one would be best in your situation.
Medicaid: Medicaid is a state and federal plan that will cover pregnant women if they have no other coverage. However, since it is a government program there are requirements that have to be met in order to obtain the coverage. Mainly, women who need the coverage must prove that they need the help financially. If you are married then your joint income will be considered.WIC: WIC is another government program that provides services to low income pregnant women and families. Under this plan you will receive food and nutritional services for your newborn and any children up to the age of five who are at a nutritional risk.Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans (PCIP): This is a government program that allows individuals to apply for health coverage that has been denied previously because of a pre-existing condition. In terms of pregnancies, if you are pregnant before you try to obtain coverage this will count as a pre-existing condition. There is a process that you will have to go through but it is not based on your income.One final option that lots of people now have to face is paying for their pregnancy out of pocket. Those who do not have any kind of medical coverage can expect to pay between $9,000 and $16,000 for an out-of-pocket, uncomplicated, birth. Yes, that is a lot of money, but there are things that you can do to try and lower your costs. There are discount programs that might be able to reduce your costs up to half. Also, another smart move would be to talk to the medical provider. With about 50% of all pregnancies not having health insurance, the issue of paying for one is something on which they will be well-versed. Another option is to have your baby at a birthing center. These facilities can handle an uncomplicated birth for a fraction of the hospital costs. You have the option to chose which is the best for you.
Having a baby can be crazy, but now you know that there are more options for you if you have health insurance and even if you don’t. The main thing is to make sure that you recieve the proper prenatal care and that your baby is as healthy as it can be.
