MaternityHealthCoverage.org

Maternity health coverage is important to have before you plan on getting pregnant. Often times health insurance companies will not give you the best rate if you are already pregnant and trying to get health insurance, or they may deny you coverage altogether. Every new mom deserves easy access to quality health insurance to protect her and her family, especially her unborn child’s health. It’s crucial that women take charge of their health and get the appropriate health care to maintain a healthy pregnancy.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, approximately 13% of women who become pregnant every year are not protected by maternity health coverage which can result in poor prenatal care. Prenatal care is very important, especially in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Medicaid, sponsored by the government, will accept women who are already pregnant but not everyone will qualify. It can be a challenge to pay for doctor visits, and delivery. The cost of delivery alone can range from $6,000 to $8,000 and this assumes no complications. Surgery or major complications can cause maternity care costs to skyrocket, even into six figures.

Another option to assist in the caring for your new baby is WIC (Women, Infants, & Children), which is a federal agency which serves to protect the health of low income women, babies, and children under the age of 5. WIC offers healthy food, supplements, valuable information on healthy eating habits, and health care referrals. There are other options to traditional health insurance which are affordable and offer other means for maternity health coverage. These various health care discount programs offer affordable options to manage your health. AmeriPlan is one program that offers benefits such as doctor visits, hospital stays, lab work, tests, and x-rays. Since it’s not considered health insurance, all pre-existing conditions are covered and there are no waiting periods, no annual limits and no deductibles.

If you need other options, consider contacting the accounting department at the hospital where you plan on delivering. You can talk to someone about setting up a payment plan and see if they offer a sliding scale. Benefits like this are often available but consumers do not know about them to take advantage of the discounts. Another option is to consider having your baby at a birthing center if you have no complications and are considered a low-risk pregnancy. The cost of delivery at this type of center is considerably less, potentially up to half as much as a traditional hospital. Whatever you decide, know how important maternity health coverage is, and ensure you are getting the proper prenatal care as soon as you find out you are expecting.