Medical Insurance

[zapzipzee]

A thought just occured to me: We have been doing our own prenatal care and are planning a UC. Did I need to notify the insurance company that I was pregnant?

If I end up transfering to the hospital for an emergency, they cant refuse to pay because they didn't know about the pregnancy, can they? Also, can they refuse to add the baby to the policy after it is born? I've read my policy, and the baby is covered under me for the first 10 days (does that mean only if it is born in a hospital???), then we just fill out a form and pay the premium for the baby after that.

Anyone BTDT? Thanks!

[Pirogi]

I would say that IF your insurance considers pregnancy a pre-existing condition, then it would just matter when you conceived. If you conceived before the insurance company began coverage, then you might have a problem (but you would have had the same problem even if they had known). If they don't deny coverage for pregnancy as a pre-existing condition, then it shouldn't matter if they "knew" you were pregnant or not. They offer you the paid service of negotiating payment with your healthcare providers. Your participation or lack thereof in the Western medical system has no bearing on the job you are paying them to do and shouldn't affect your coverage options, when you choose to take advantage of them.

I don't think there is any way they can refuse to cover the baby in the absence of a medical/hospital birth. Just make sure you file the paperwork on time, and you should be fine. I would however try to find out what "proof" they will need that the baby was born to you. Do they usually accept hospital records? What other paperwork is acceptable?