Insurance for Pregnant Women

While health insurance coverage is vital for everyone, it becomes especially important for women who are expecting. During pregnancy, there are many issues that could potentially go wrong, or even prevented if the mother has access to pertinent information.

Acquiring insurance during pregnancy has become more and more difficult as health insurance costs increase in the United Status. The American Health Association estimates that nearly 41 million Americans lack basic health coverage, and approximately 13% of pregnant women have no health insurance at all. This is needlessly placing both the mother and their child at risk.

Prenatal care is often extremely expensive. Furthermore, hospital care and maternity care can cost in excess of $10,000. The costs may dramatically increase if complications ensue, like cesarean sections or premature birth. Considering these facts, it is emphatically recommended that all expecting mothers obtain some form of health insurance.

One major issue is that many insurance companies refuse to accept new policies from expectant mothers as their pregnancy is often considered a pre-existing condition. If you wish to become or expect to become pregnant in the near future, it would be in your best interest to attempt to obtain health insurance coverage prior to becoming pregnant. However, if you find that you are pregnant and lack insurance, the following tips may be helpful in obtaining health insurance:

First, try to shop around. Search via the internet for insurance companies who will provide coverage for pregnancy and discounted insurance coverage. Obtaining quotes from multiple providers is easy, fast, and free. You may find that some insurance quotes may be less expensive than others.

Second, some federally funded programs offer health care insurance for lower income individuals. For example, Medicaid allows enrollment into an insurance plan despite existing pregnancy. CHIP is another federal program that you may wish to consider. Specific states offer specialized programs addressing this issues. Be sure to research whether or not your state may offer such a program.

Third, research other agencies and possible supplementary benefits these companies may provide. WIC is one such federal agency; this group offers health care benefits to women and their children under the age of 5. Additionally, they provide food supplementation. However, this program is only for low income families.

Lastly, be certain to weigh your options and choose the plan that best fits your needs. Consider the fact that a hospital-only insurance plan will likely refuse to cover any appointments at a physician's clinic.