Medical Insurance

Maternity Medical Insurance

If you're expecting but have no insurance, there may be choices available to you that will lessen your costs for maternity-related expenses. Not checking out all your alternatives can mean that your pregnancy is very costly.

Your choices for pregnancy insurance if you're currently pregnant include employer-sponsored health insurance, government-sponsored hospital and surgery insurance. As a last resort some non-insurance plans can lower your expenses by helping you get discounted rates from your hospital.

If you're working and will have a medical insurance open enrollment period before your baby arrives, you may be able to buy coverage through an employment-sponsored plan. If you're married, you should check alternatives with your spouse's or domestic partner employment as well.

If you are going to get married and can do so before your trip to the maternity ward, you may be able to be added to your spouse's or domestic partner insurance before the once a year open enrollment period. With most group health insurance plans when an employee gets married their spouse is entitled for a special open enrollment period.

You may be eligible for health insurance policies that are offered through your local, county or state. In many cases these health insurance plans will accept women who are already expecting.

These programs will probably have benefit or other restrictions. They may limit what they pay and who they will pay. They may limit the doctors and hospitals you can go to.

There may be income requirements. Some plans may require that your income be under a certain level. Others may have no income limit but will ask those with higher incomes to pay more to get insurance.

You can contact your local health department or Planned Parenthood for information on programs available in your area. If there are health care insurance options for already pregnant women in your area, they will probably know about it.

If you're unable to buy hospital and surgery insurance that will cover your pregnancy, there are still things you can do to lower the costs you will have to pay. You can see which hospital in your area has the lowest rates. Hospitals can charge very different rates.

If you can pre-pay your pregnancy expenses, you can often get a lower rate from your hospital. Discuss this option with the hospital you chose if you're able to do this.

You may also find that there are non-insurance programs available that will allow you to pay discounted rates to your hospital. If an insurance company pays for a person's health care bills, they will pay what is known as the negotiated rate. This can be half what the hospital charges those who have no health care insurance. Even if you do not qualify for an insurance policy, you may be able to qualify for the same kind of discount.

You will have more alternatives available to you if you are able to get health and maternity insurance before you're pregnant. However, there may be choices available to you even if you're pregnant before you begin looking for pregnancy coverage.

Be sure to research all your alternatives if you're already pregnant and are not covered by health insurance. Doing so can save you a lot of financial pain.
(Alston Ballkcom)