Maternity insurance can bring out-of pocket costs to as little as $500.
According to costhelper.com, the cost of having a baby without complications is between $9,000 and $17,000. Maternity health insurance can curb this cost and bring the out-of-pocket costs of the mother to a much more manageable number. Coverage typically provides benefits for all aspects of a pregnancy and birth, but may be difficult to acquire if a woman is already pregnant. However, in 2014, the government will implement laws set forth in the Affordable Care Act to help regulate maternity insurance and make it more affordable and accessible for women.
Types and Coverage
Most comprehensive maternity health insurance plans cover prenatal health care, including all office visits with an obstetrician or midwife leading up until birth. Many health plans also provide coverage for standard prenatal sonograms, as well as lab work such as blood glucose screenings for gestational diabetes, strep B culture tests and routine sexually transmitted disease screenings. Additionally, maternity insurance usually covers hospital and physician costs for both vaginal and cesarean section births, as well as medications and anesthesia expenses. Less expensive indemnity plans take a different approach, offering a designated dollar amount as a benefit toward pregnancy-related expenses. All remaining expenses are left to the policyholder to pay.
Sources
Uninsured women who need maternity insurance may have limited options. Most major employers provide health insurance with optional maternity riders. Coverage from employers is usually comprehensive, and often leaves the policyholder with very low out of pocket costs. However, anyone that doesn't have access to employer-provided health insurance may have difficulty finding a private insurer that offers maternity coverage. Low-income women may find a break if they qualify for government-sponsored Medicaid.
Pre-Existing Conditions
For most health insurance plans, pregnancies are considered pre-existing conditions. This means that anyone who acquires health insurance after becoming pregnant may have to submit to a waiting period before benefits kick in. In some cases, this could mean that no benefits will be paid for an existing pregnancy. Women covered under Medicaid do not have to wait to receive benefits, and can apply for coverage at any point in their pregnancy.
Affordable Care Act
In 2010, Congress passed and President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. Under the new law and beginning in 2014, all new health insurance plans must provide standard maternity care benefits to all women on all policies. This coverage does not come in the form of a maternity rider, but instead must be included in the monthly premiums of all health insurance plans. Additionally, pregnant women will no longer be denied health coverage for pre-existing pregnancies and other pre-existing conditions.
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