Pregnant women are often faced with an increased need for health insurance, due to all the procedures associated with pregnancy. In many cases, pregnant women require multiple doctor office visits and expensive testing throughout the course of the pregnancy. Additional charges for pregnant women include delivery and any complications that may arise both during and after the birth. There are several options regarding health insurance for pregnant women, so they should know the risks of not having coverage prior to pregnancy.
Group Insurance
Group insurance may be one of the best health insurance options for pregnant women. Group health coverage cannot discriminate, so if a company offers health insurance, every employee automatically qualifies for coverage. Group coverage often provides maternity care and will typically cover many of the medical costs involved in pregnancy. Group health insurance for pregnant women is a great benefit provided by employers who offer health insurance.
Existing Individual Coverage
Women should be cautious with individual health insurance coverage if they become pregnant. Many individual health insurance companies do not include maternity coverage on all health insurance plans. Some companies do not cover maternity at all on their private health insurance plans, while others may require maternity to be added as a separate rider with additional costs. If a policyholder gets pregnant before maternity coverage is added, she may not be covered for the pregnancy at all.
Medicaid
Medicaid is a program what works with people who would otherwise be without health insurance; one group of people that Medicaid often helps is pregnant women. Medicaid is generally provided to those who qualify at little to no cost and certainly helps women who do not have adequate coverage during their pregnancies. Additionally, some pregnancies have complications which can incur staggering medical bills. Health insurance for pregnant women is beneficial because these complications can be so unpredictable.
Making Sure Certain Coverage is Included
Most insurance companies have requirements they must follow regarding adding newborns to a policy. That being said, insurance companies must cover the newborn for the first 30 to 60 days; the time frame depends upon the location, as each state mandates its own requirements. During this time, it is imperative to determine the rules for adding the baby permanently and to follow the guidelines to ensure the baby will have proper coverage. Some states are only required to add the baby just after birth, but this depends on whether or not the policy has the ability to be a family plan, so check the guidelines within your state.
During pregnancy, women may feel that health insurance is doubly important, and for good reason; health insurance for pregnant women is immediately covering two people. There are many unpredictable situations in pregnancy and health costs add up quickly as pregnant women frequent the doctor’s office. Testing throughout the pregnancy and delivery costs can range in rates, depending on the pregnancy. Every woman’s pregnancy is different, so it is vital for every individual to make sure she has adequate coverage.