Can Pregnant Women Find Health Insurance? Posted By : Dave MacDonald
13.11.2006 16:56 Insurance Articles
Nearly every new health insurance policy written will contain a "preexisting conditions" exclusion for any medical condition an individual presently has. Pregnancy would fall in this classification. While it may be nearly impossible to find a standard insurance plan to cover the upcoming delivery, there are some options that are available.
Most states provide low-cost, affordable health insurance for individuals and/or their children (and this includes children within the womb in many cases!). In Indiana, we have a program called Hoosier Healthwise designed specifically for low income families. Pregnant women can be eligible for full protection or pregnancy protection depending upon the family's income and assets. If you live in any other state, check with your state's government website (website address is probably http://www.in.gov, just replace the "in" with your state's abbreviation).
Don't forget to check with an employer. You might be able to land a job which will provide health benefits before your baby is due. Most will have some sort of probation period, commonly 30-90 days before you become eligible for benefits. And, be sure to inquire about any pre-existing conditions clause if you haven't had protection in the past year.
Do you belong to any trade groups or have any hobbies (cycling, home schooling, small business, etc.)? Don't overlook these as an option. By pooling resources, many associations have been able to successfully negotiate benefits for their members. It may be worth a look.
As a final thought, you may think about some type of point of service health program. These programs do not provide insurance "protection" but minimize the cost of health care services if the individual chooses to utilize the services of a provider in their network. Since they are not insurance products, they may not include an exclusion for maternity. Discounts range from 20-60%. While this option will not pay entirely for the delivery, it may be an affordable non-insurance solution.
Finding a way to pay for pregnancy can be difficult, but it's not impossible. But, you may need to think "outside the box."
Most states provide low-cost, affordable health insurance for individuals and/or their children (and this includes children within the womb in many cases!). In Indiana, we have a program called Hoosier Healthwise designed specifically for low income families. Pregnant women can be eligible for full protection or pregnancy protection depending upon the family's income and assets. If you live in any other state, check with your state's government website (website address is probably http://www.in.gov, just replace the "in" with your state's abbreviation).
Don't forget to check with an employer. You might be able to land a job which will provide health benefits before your baby is due. Most will have some sort of probation period, commonly 30-90 days before you become eligible for benefits. And, be sure to inquire about any pre-existing conditions clause if you haven't had protection in the past year.
Do you belong to any trade groups or have any hobbies (cycling, home schooling, small business, etc.)? Don't overlook these as an option. By pooling resources, many associations have been able to successfully negotiate benefits for their members. It may be worth a look.
As a final thought, you may think about some type of point of service health program. These programs do not provide insurance "protection" but minimize the cost of health care services if the individual chooses to utilize the services of a provider in their network. Since they are not insurance products, they may not include an exclusion for maternity. Discounts range from 20-60%. While this option will not pay entirely for the delivery, it may be an affordable non-insurance solution.
Finding a way to pay for pregnancy can be difficult, but it's not impossible. But, you may need to think "outside the box."
By: Dave MacDonald
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