HIPPA Law and Emergency Coverage
Health insurance for pregnant women can be complicated. The HIPPA law does say that pregnancy is not a preexisting condition. This would allow the pregnancy to still be covered even if you obtain insurance after becoming pregnant, but only if the mother didn't have a lapse in coverage. She would have had to have insurance in the past up until the date of switching to the new insurance plan. What an insurance company will pay for depends on the policy, and some insurance companies have found ways around covering pregnant women. For instance in Arizona most standard insurance policies that don't have additional maternity coverage will only cover the cost of delivery if it is an emergency. This is even the case if the pregnant woman's spouse is the only person with insurance. Even if the pregnant spouse is not on the insurance plan most insurance providers will cover the cost if the husband has insurance through them and if it is an emergency delivery. Yet if you go to the hospital with an uncomplicated planned birth then you are not covered. Many women choose to have their babies delivered at home by a midwife, and they will only go to the hospital if there is a true emergency to avoid having to pay out of pocket for a planned delivery.
COBRA Insurance
Many standard maternity insurance plans will require a co-payment for each office visit. There may also be a deductible and the plans will cover all or only a portion of the hospital visit. Most insurance plans don't cover 100 percent of everything though. However, maternity coverage is typically considered to be optional coverage at an additional cost. There are very few policies now which automatically written into the policy. However, if a pregnant mother loses her job, and still wants to keep her insurance she can be covered under COBRA, but only if she had maternity coverage when she was employed. COBRA insurance is also very expensive, but some people feel that it is far better to have COBRA insurance than nothing at all.
Plan Ahead
If you want to have a standard hospital birth it is better to plan ahead. Since the rules can be tricky it is better to be prepared in advance, so make sure that you have maternity coverage before you get pregnant. This is especially important if you want a standard hospital delivery. The average vaginal delivery can cost $4,000 or more, and if surgery is required it can cost $10,000 and up. If you have low income or no income you may be eligible for free health insurance through the state. You can apply online or visit your local economic security office to apply in person.
Tags: maternity coverage, COBRA insurance, cover cost, have maternity, have maternity coverage, insurance plan, insurance plans