Women consistently need medical care during pregnancy for themselves and their unborn child. This maternal health care should begin immediately after conception all through prenatal, up to delivery, and should be followed during postnatal periods. they also need to know how to Get Pregnancy Insurance
Being pregnant does not exclude you from getting insurance coverage. Health insurance became mandatory in 2104 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the care of your unborn child.
Before 2014, pregnancy had been termed as a Pre-existing condition, and there were only a few insurers offering overage for it. Still, now, there exist health coverage for you, if you are pregnant or planning on getting pregnant.
Getting Pregnancy Insurance Coverage.
Knowing how to get pregnancy insurance shouldn’t be a big deal after reading this piece. Pregnancy health coverage is now an essential and mandatory benefit that is covered by most insurers nationwide.
When looking for how to get pregnancy insurance, here are some critical questions that you should ask and get answers to, before choosing a policy:
- Does the policy cover for prenatal care?
- Does the policy cover for postnatal care?
- Would a referral be required for me to see my specialist?
- Does my plan cover for labor/ delivery cost?
- How much do I get to pay for co-pays, co-insurance, and deductibles?
- Is my specialist/ hospital under the policy network?
- After delivery, how long can my insurance cover my stay?
It is also necessary that you get an idea of what kind of expenses to expect during maternity and several options that may be available for you so as not to break your bank.
Types of Pregnancy Insurance Coverage
There are different types of health insurance plans that would provide you the best affordable options for you during pregnancy. The best insurance plan that suits you will be determined by your income and whether you or your spouse’s employer provide maternity health coverage. Options available include:
The Employer Covered Pregnancy Coverage:
This is the most common and most straightforward kind of pregnancy insurance mostly available, providing you coverage if you get pregnant during the period you work in the company. It can be instrumental if your employer covers your pregnancy premium. It is also essential to know most employer’s cover stipulates a waiting period of 3 months from the date of your coverage begins. This coverage helps to prevent sick persons who are not pregnant from applying for health care.
Marketplace Healthcare Insurance:
If your employer or spouse’s employer does not have provision for pregnancy insurance, you may apply for a suitable maternity health coverage through the insurance marketplace that covers for all the essential benefits listed under the Affordable Care Act for maternity. You must enroll during the open enrollment period, which happens every year, beginning in November.
Medicaid and CHIP Insurance:
The government provides health insurance that covers maternity through the Medicaid insurance SERVICES regulated by the Affordable Care Act. You will be given the same prenatal, maternal, and newborn coverages as the marketplace and employer-based over.
Medicaid does not have a waiting period, and you can apply for cover at any time of the year. Some states increase the income requirements during pregnancy to help pregnant women get more coverage. Check your local health department to confirm your eligibility.
The Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides cover for children under the age of 19, with inclusion for pregnant women . This coverage would mostly suit women who earn too much to be eligible for Medicaid and also less to afford the Affordable Care Act covers.
Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA):
Depending on the circumstances, if you or your spouse who has employer insurance was recently unemployed, you can get covered for up to 18-32 months, if you are willing to take over the premium payments. Although COBRA premiums are on the high sides, it is cost-effective than paying out of pocket. You should check with your past employer to confirm your eligibility also.
Parents:
Your parent’s health plan can be able to cover for your maternity benefits, regardless of whether they declared you as dependent or not, even if you are married or not. It can only include until you are 26-year-old. You may also have to wait for the compulsory open enrollment period to join their plan.
What does my Pregnancy Insurance cover?
- Prenatal and postnatal examinations and treatment.
- Medically prescribed Cesarean Section
- Normal and Complicated Delivery
- Hospital Cost.
More Comprehensive plans would cover for;
- Newborn baby care
- Congenital disabilities
- Counseling for lactation
- Breast pump rentals.
Cost Associated with Pregnancy Insurance
A majority of health insurance provider’s plans will cover for a large percentage of the cost of delivery and after birth, but as with any other program, you must pay part of the whole. Primarily if your employer does not provide pregnancy health insurance. Your cost will include:
- Deductible: This is the cost you spend at the initial instance before your coverage helps pay for your health care cost.
- Co-pay: This is a necessary flat payment you get to pay when you visit your specialist, co-pay fees range between $20 – $80
- Co-insurance: This is a percentage of the cost of your medical care stipulated in your policy for you to pay.
You can find out what the cost of most of all the payments is likely to be by looking at your health-plan benefit summary sheet or by inquiring from your insurance agent.
Benefits of having pregnancy Healthcare insurance
- Pregnancy health insurance provides maternity coverage for outpatient services; this includes prenatal and postnatal visits to your specialist, screenings, tests, and medications
- Pregnancy health insurance services would provide you with coverage for inpatient services such as hospital and physical fee.
- Most Pregnancy insurance will cover for the newborn health care if it is a comprehensive plan
- Most comprehensive pregnancy insurance would cover the cost for counseling mothers about lactation and providing breast pumps to mothers who find it challenging to begin breastfeeding immediately.
- Cover for transportation and extra coverage benefits that reduce financial burden during the pregnancy period.
An alternative for Pregnancy Healthcare Insurance.
Due to cost and other special reasons, many people still seek a reliable alternative to getting medical insurance for pregnancy, if you are seeking other options, here are some you can explore:
● Birthing Centers /Midwife: If you consider yourself healthy and at low risk of having any complications, you can opt for a natural childbirth medium at birthing centers by trained midwives. You can save a ton by delivering at birthing centers than hospitals.
● Community Health Centers: You may be able to get affordable and low-cost prenatal care from community health centers and related family planning clinics.
● Local Healthcare Department: You can visit your local public health department. Most of them provide maternity care that would suit lower-income individuals. Perchance you do not meet their criteria, you can still benefit from their vast resource of information.
● Hill-Burton Facility: There should be above 132 hospitals and health clinics providing low-cost care health care due to the grant provided them through the Hill-Burton Act.
It Act spends a stipulated amount per annum, you must use the service before the amount finishes. This amount is not necessarily large and can only cover the hospital fee and not your specialist payment.
Other available options include seeking charity care organizations that offer programs to help women with maternal healthcare needs; or looking out for discounted medical plans organizations that provide a pre-negotiated discount to members for a fee.
