Is pregnancy a "pre-existing condition"???

[StephandOwen]

I was just reading that "pregnant with no maternity coverage" and it got me wondering..... is pregnancy generally considered pre-existing? So if you're pregnant before you get on the insurance they won't cover it? Is there generally a waiting period before you can get pregnant and have it covered?

I never even thought about all of that. Currently I have no insurance. When dp and I get married in January I will be on his (Humana).

[goldfinches]

If he's on group insurance through his job, it should be fine. If it's personal insurance, you may have a problem. We actually couldn't get anything but state insurance for our family because of my pregnancy, the companies wouldn't insure anyone in the family because of me.

[AllyRae]

I'm pretty sure there's a law stating that insurance companies can't use pregnancy as a pre-existing condition...

[AllyRae]

Here you go....apparently federal law prohibits insurance companies from claiming pregnancy as a pre-existing condition, but hippa regulations become the loophole...

http://www.ivillage.com/pregnant-wit...age/6-n-145593

[dizzysmom]

When I filled out my insurance paperwork for a new job, it specifically asked if I was pregnant and my due date, and I answered as appropriate. A week or two later, I received a letter from the insurance company (Anthem BC/BS in this case) stating that my preexisting conditions would not be covered until the waiting period had lapsed. At the bottom of the letter, it listed "pregnancy" and then an effective coverage date of two months past the due date I had provided.

But... they paid the claims (well, they paid once I finally hit my deductible, which took the whole of my pregnancy). So I'm really not sure what happened there, but it definitely freaked me out, thinking that I was going to have to foot the bill for all the prenatal and hospital care!

[StephandOwen]

Originally Posted by goldfinches

If he's on group insurance through his job, it should be fine.

Yes, he is on group insurance through his work.

Allison- a quote from that link

So if you had no insurance, got pregnant, then landed a new job with insurance, your new health plan would not have to immediately cover your pregnancy. You might have to sit out a preexisting condition waiting period, a period that could be longer than your pregnancy and in the meantime pay for your visits yourself.

Obviously it wouldn't be me getting a new job and getting insurance but it's basically the same- I have no insurance and then will go on DP's current insurance. So.... does that mean it wouldn't cover me? Hmmmm....

[Amila]

Hopefully this has changed by now- but in 2005 when I was pregnant with DD, I just came off my moms insurance because I graduated college, and had not yet gotten married, so I was stuck. NOBODY would cover me. I had to go on Medicaid, which I didn't need financially, but thankfully I qualified for it- I went off it once I was not pregnant anymore, but what a hassle. Too bad I didn't have a homebirth with my first- problem would have been solved, lol.

[AllyRae]

Originally Posted by StephandOwen

Obviously it wouldn't be me getting a new job and getting insurance but it's basically the same- I have no insurance and then will go on DP's current insurance. So.... does that mean it wouldn't cover me? Hmmmm....

LOL...is this still hypothetical?

[StephandOwen]

Originally Posted by AllyRae

LOL...is this still hypothetical?

Yes, yes it is We are discussing our options

[odenata]

Just to clarify, HIPPA is the law that says pregnancy cannot be considered a preexisting condition, but it only applies in limited circumstances, mainly if you are moving from one insurance to another. It doesn't apply if you had no insurance and get insurance (even group insurance), and it doesn't apply to personal insurance. You need to check to see if your husband's insurance has a waiting period for pre-existing conditions and what it is.

Under Obama's Affordable Care Act, this will change. Starting in 2014, new individual plans and all job-based plans won’t be allowed to turn anybody down or charge them a higher premium because of pregnancy or other health conditions. Until then, they started a program called Pre-existing Condition Insurance that may be of help to you. You can read more here.

[Peony]

Originally Posted by odenata

Just to clarify, HIPPA is the law that says pregnancy cannot be considered a preexisting condition, but it only applies in limited circumstances, mainly if you are moving from one insurance to another. It doesn't apply if you had no insurance and get insurance (even group insurance), and it doesn't apply to personal insurance. You need to check to see if your husband's insurance has a waiting period for pre-existing conditions and what it is.

.[/URL]

Exactly. It all depends if that insurance policy has a waiting period.

[lyterae]

When I was pregnant we had no insurance and went on state insurance. DH got insurance through his new job (BCBS insurance) when I was about 6 months pregnant. They covered the pregnancy with no problems.

[JudiAU]

It is usually excluded from individual policies. Group policies usually do not have a waiting requirement.

[StephandOwen]

Okay, dp called his insurance company and talked to them and for once we got great news from them! We've been butting heads with them a lot lately (over ds's therapy) so this was a welcome relief! They said that the plan dp is on has NO pre-existing clause (which explains why it costs so freaking much). So it shouldn't be a problem at all if I were to be pregnant before I got on the insurance.

[Jyotsna]

Congratulations Steph!

[Baby~Braatens~Mama]

Congratulations! That is amazing!

My dp's insurance would not cover me because the pregnancy was a "pre-existing condition" and I did not qualify for insurance through my company until right before I left... so the only insurance we could get was Medicaid and I only qualified for that because DP and I are not married.

[kittynurse]

Originally Posted by AllyRae

LOL...is this still hypothetical?

Originally Posted by StephandOwen

Yes, yes it is We are discussing our options

Thank God for sisters because I sure as heck wasn't going to be the one to ask! Between your wedding threads and this one I was starting to do my best Arsenio Hall impersonation

Things that make you go hmmm

Martha

[StephandOwen]

LOL! Ally was the first one I told when I found out I was pregnant with my son (well, ex was the first one- Ally was the second).

But no, not pregnant yet DP and I have been discussing if/when and various scenarios. I wouldn't mind trying for December (we are getting married January 1st) but didn't want insurance to refuse to pay for any pregnancy/delivery stuff. I don't think we want to try in the next couple months because I want to enjoy our wedding/honeymoon without a belly and/or morning sickness But if we were to try in December I would be able to test right around Christmas (maybe 2-3 days before Christmas) so I would only be like 5-ish weeks pregnant during our wedding/honeymoon.

[AllyRae]

Uh, I was puking like crazy at 5ish weeks pregnant. Might want to wait for the honeymoon to try. LOL!

[StephandOwen]

LOL.... I had no morning sickness with Owen I'm bragging now but it'll probably come back and bite me in the butt some day