Maternity Health Insurance Coverage
Maternity health insurance is an important family benefit. The average cost of a normal pregnancy averages $7,000, jumps for a high-risk pregnancy, and skyrockets for premature birth. Proper medical care during your pregnancy is crucial to the health of mom, and your unborn baby.
Maternity health coverage is hard to find. Many insurers don't provide affordable coverage because normal pregnancy and maternity is often a planned event for many couples - meaning the insurer is likely to lose money on your policy. How do you afford prenatal care, delivery, and more without going broke?
Maternity coverage options depend upon:
- Where you live
- Where you and your spouse work
- The laws in your state and the headquarter state of both employers
Know the rules, where the holes are, and how to fill them. Also find valuable resources to protect your job during maternity leave, and to find coverage if you are already pregnant.
Maternity Health Insurance Coverage Options
Coverage by State One of the keys to finding the right coverage are the laws in your home state. Most insurance companies will avoid covering normal pregnancy unless compelled by state law. Eighteen states have mandates that apply to either small groups and/or individuals,
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Individual Insurance Individual health insurance with pregnancy coverage is a mixed bag. If you live in a mandate state you are one of the lucky few. Those living in non-mandate states may have to deal with maternity rider plans: coverage that comes with either a long waiting period, or a large deductible for normal pregnancy.
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Hospital Indemnity Insurance No maternity health plan is complete without Hospital Indemnity Insurance. Many health insurance plans come with deductibles for a hospital stay, which raises costs for growing families as they plan to deliver in a hospital even when a pregnancy is smooth and baby is perfectly healthy. Receive a cash benefit paid directly to you for your hospital admission, fill holes in many health plans, and gain extra coverage for multiple pregnancies delivered pre-term.
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Supplemental Maternity Insurance Supplemental insurance fills holes in any benefit plan, and is ideal coverage for a growing family. Cash benefits are paid directly to you to replace income during maternity leave, and if your child requires specialized care in the hospital NICU. Bonus benefits may be paid when high order multiples are born pre-term making this coverage vital for couples undergoing infertility treatments.
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Health Insurance During Leave There are four topics of great importance to growing families during maternity leave: replacing mom's income before and after delivery, coverage to allow mom to bond with baby or care for a sick infant, what happens to health insurance coverage during an extended absence from work, and adding your child to your policy.
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Maternity Health Insurance Extras
Finding insurance that covers maternity is one important step. Replacing your income during maternity leave, and protecting your job while away from work are others. Be sure to consider all issues impacting your financial situation impacted by your pregnancy.
Pregnant Without Insurance Pregnancy is considered a pre-existing condition by most insurance plans. But there are a variety of government sponsored resources available to help you get care for you and your infant, and to cut costs during your pregnancy. Find out what is available.
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Maternity Leave Laws A variety of Federal and State Laws combine to provide limited job protection benefits to certain categories of employees. Most women will experience unpaid leave, with a few exceptions. Find out what the laws are, who they apply to, and how they might protect your job and access to health benefits during your pregnancy and maternity leave.
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Unemployment and Maternity Leave Many growing families ask about unemployment insurance during the time they are not working during their maternity leave. In the U.S. paid maternity leave is uncommon, so this is a logical question. For most people unemployment insurance is not the answer, but under certain circumstances you may receive benefits.
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