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Buying Pregnancy Insurance While Pregnant   

Finding maternity and health insurance via a private health insurance company if you are currently pregnant is difficult, if not impossible. Medical insurance companies will usually consider a current pregnancy a reason to deny coverage. They will consider the pregnancy to be a preexisting condition.

The advice below might not be or may not be pertinent to your situation. There are different laws in different jurisdictions. The restrictions and limitations you might find on a given policy may mean that a pre-existing disease or condition you expect to be covered isn't.

It is important that you know what is and isn't covered by your insurance contract before you buy it.

 

It is also important to keep any existing health care insurance policy you might have until you are officially notified that the new one is in place. Even if your existing health insurance plan does not cover maternity expenses, you should think carefully before canceling it.

There are three main reasons that you should do this. The first is that you may have an otherwise covered illness or injury not associated with your pregnancy that triggers a large health care expense. The second is that you might have or develop a preexisting condition that will keep you from getting coverage in the future. The third reason is that even though the medical expenses of a normal pregnancy might be excluded from your plan, your contract might include coverage for complications. Complications of pregnancy are considered a disease. A normal pregnancy is not.

In many situations, private health insurance will not be an option. Most insurance carriers will automatically deny new coverage for pregnant women. However, there are some exceptions.

 

Group or employer-sponsored insurance may offer an opportunity for you to get coverage. These types of policies are governed by different regulations. Medical history is less often a factor in your being eligible for a group health insurance contract.

Employer-sponsored insurance policies will often cover pre-existing health conditions. If, you can get coverage through a group policy before you give birth, you may be able to get the health insurance company to cover most of your medical expenses.

Of course, the group medical insurance policy in question will need to cover maternity. Not all will. Many health insurance policies will specifically exclude maternity related expenses.

 

In a typical pregnancy most of the health care will be needed just before, during and immediately after the birth of the child. This means that if you can get coverage before you have your baby, you can avoid most of the medical expenses.

If your employer offers group medical insurance, and they will have an open enrollment period before your due date, you may be able to get coverage for your expenses in the maternity ward. This can help you dramatically reduce the bills you will need to pay.

If your spouse or domestic partner has group coverage available at his or her job, you may be able to take advantage of his or her next open enrollment period. This may also be a viable option for you.

 

If you are married at this time, but get married to someone with group health insurance, you might be able to get insured by their contract during a special open enrollment period. Getting married usually allows a spouse be insured by the other spouse's health insurance plan right away without waiting for the next open enrollment period.

 

The approaches listed above may not work for you. Employer-sponsored medical insurance often provides the best coverage. However, if you are not able to get coverage that way there might be programs available from your local, state or from the federal government that can help you limit your exposure.

To If you need more information about the alternatives available to you through other tactics and through government-based programs, contact the hospital where you plan to give birth to your baby. They might be able to help point you in the right direction.