Maternity Health Insurance Coverage

The joy of pregnancy can soon be replaced by worry when the medical bills associated with a healthy pregnancy come trickling then marching in. These bills will include pre-natal costs like doctor visits, ultrasound, and diagnostic tests, delivery costs ranging from $6,000 to $13,000 and post-natal costs for doctor visits.

Unfortunately, it is estimated that 13 percent of pregnant women in the United States do not have any form of maternity insurance.  This leaves them very vulnerable indeed to financial disaster.  Even a low-cost one will go a long way towards financial protection.  Fortunately, there are ways to secure low-cost maternity insurance.  This is possible, yes, even when many insurance companies will refuse to provide insurance for pregnancy as a pre-existing condition.

Search Online Pregnancy Support Sites

You can search the websites of pregnancy support groups like the American Pregnancy Association, which is a national organization committed to the welfare of pregnant women in the United States.  You will be directed towards insurance websites that offer maternity insurance options as well as important advice on carrying a healthy pregnancy.

One of the more notable options is the MaternityCard, which is offered by a Texas-based private insurance company.  It is designed to provide low-cost insurance for pregnant women who have no health insurance, who cannot qualify for government assistance, and whose existing insurance does not cover maternity. 

If you extend your search further, you can look for companies offering discount insurance plans.  You can avail of low-cost health insurance although you must be careful to read the fine print.

Inquire about Government Programs

You can inquire about government-funded maternity insurance programs both at the state and federal levels.  You have the Medicaid program, which is a federally-funded insurance program for low-income households.  You have state programs along the same lines like California's Medi-cal. Usually, information about these programs can be had at the health department of your state.

You may also be able to avail of peripheral, non-insurance benefits of other government programs.  For example, the Women, Infants and Children Program of the Department of Agriculture offer health care referrals for low-income pregnant women, which can help in lessening the burden of pre-natal costs.  This is in addition to the provision of supplemental foods and nutrition education, which can help in ensuring a healthy pregnancy and, hence, reduce pre-natal costs.

Visit Insurance Comparison Websites

For faster and easier comparison of maternity insurance quotes, you can visit insurance comparison websites.  Many of these websites will feature companies offering low-cost health insurance plans, which can significantly ease the burden of pregnancy expenses before, during and after delivery.

You only need to type in your insurance needs along with some personal information, click on the appropriate icons, and wait for the results.  You will be provided with insurance quotes from which to choose from, all of them from reputable companies.  The advantage is that your tired feet need not hop from office to office looking for just the right quote since the website does the job for you.

When it comes to health insurance and pregnancy Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama dental Insurance

Janie
2009-11-16
My husband works for the city, and got laid off. We lost our health insurance, and didn't find out about cobra until it was too late. Any suggestions for affordable health insurance for my husband and I good for prenatal and postnatal care? We are thinking of having a baby. Please - serious answers only. * 4 days ago * - 45 minutes left to answer. Additional Details My husband and I are BOTH employed full time, and we can afford everything we have. He was working 2 jobs, the one he lost had the insurance. And i WANT to get pregnant and needed some help and information before I PLAN it out. Thanks everyone for helping me. Most of you have been very helpful.

anne
2009-11-16
Your husband should have been notified that he was eligible for Cobra insurance within 60 days of loosing his job. If that did not occur, you should talk to the city. Also the government currently subsidizes 65% of the cost of Cobra until December 1st when being laid off. There is currently a new bill in the senate to extend the subsidy longer.

Bain
2009-11-16
Any private health insurance is going to have a wait for maternity - as in, you have to carry it a full year, before getting pregnant, for the pregnancy to be covered. Maternity, costs an EXTRA $300 a month, making maternity benefits pretty much a prepaid plan. My suggestion, is to put off having a baby, until your husband is employed again, and has benefits.

Cathy
2009-11-16
It depends on where you live. Find an insurance broker where you live to help you. Some policies have waiting periods so if you get pregnant, for example, in the first 10 months of the existence of the policy then the pregnancy is not covered. The broker can help sort it out and I have links to brokers in each state on my site. Brokers are free so use them as you're only putting yourself at a disadvantage by not using them.

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