Maternity Health Insurance

What types of things are covered, and the amount that is covered, vary widely. If you are planning on becoming pregnant, it may be worth your time to call your insurance company to learn more about your maternity benefits. This can give you a rough estimate of how much money you will need to cover your end of the expenses.

If you belong to a PPO or HMO, you may be limited on finding doctors that are fully covered. You might want to begin your search for an obstetrician and pediatrician before conception.

Knowing about the maternity health insurance coverage before you get the bills can help you identify possible mistakes, and allow you to save money to cover your part of the bill. Benefits to find out about from your insurance company include:

• Co-pay for prenatal office visits
• Prescription coverage
• Deductible for you
• Deductible for your baby (or family deductible)
• Coverage on lab-work and testing
• Coverage on non-routine tests (such as genetic testing)
• Number of ultrasounds covered
• Length of hospital stay that is covered
• Coverage of a cesarean section versus a vaginal birth
• Percentage of total costs you will likely have to pay

Every doctor and hospital charges different amounts for these things, so be sure to call your hospital and clinic’s business office if you need a more accurate estimate of the cost.

Help For Moms Without Insurance

If you do not have health insurance, you do have options. If you are single, find out if the baby’s father’s insurance will cover the prenatal care and birth. Insurance carriers often do cover children without the parents being married.

Teen mothers might be covered by their parent’s health insurance. As long as they are under a certain age (often 18 or 21, if still in college) and can be claimed as a dependent, insurance companies may cover a portion of the costs.

Other options include getting government assistance. Check into seeing if you qualify for Medicaid, which pays directly to healthcare providers. State-based aid programs (like TAFDC in Massachusetts) are also available for those who qualify. Ask at your local hospital/clinic, department of children’s services, or welfare office to find out what is available in your area.

Help can also come in the form of assistance in other areas, like help with paying for groceries or shelter, leaving you more money to pay your medical bills and other baby-related expenses. Supplemental Security Income is available to help people pay for shelter, clothing, and food. WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) helps to buy healthy foods for pregnant women and their babies.

Paying Medical Bills

Even if you do have maternity health insurance, you will still be responsible for a portion of the bills for your pregnancy and childbirth. Most hospitals and clinics now offer several ways to pay the bill, including check, money order, and credit card.

Should you need to set up a payment program (where you pay a portion of the bill at a time), call your healthcare provider’s business office. They will be able to help set up a payment program so that you only have to pay the amount you can afford every month.