Mothering Forum banner

Pregnant with no insurance

3K views 17 replies 14 participants last post by  mrforbes 
#1 ·
We are planning our second homebirth and had a wonderful experience with the first. We're using the same midwife and she was great.

Our major medical insurance doesn't cover pregnancy- even if it is an emergency transfer. I would be interested in getting some kind of pregnancy insurance just in case- should I need testing or need to be transferred to the hosp. Does anyone know of ANY companies that don'[ consider pregnancy a "pre-existing condition"? It's just so silly that it is such a hard thing to find!!!!
 
#3 ·
hey there, thanks for replying and congratulations on your upcoming babe! Unfortunately, we buy private insurance because I'm a SAHM and my husband has his own business, but no employees. The major medical we have will cover the baby as soon as he or she is born, but no maternity stuff before. Assuming everything goes as planned, there won't be a whole lot of expense once the baby is born other than well baby visits!
 
#4 ·
I know a lot of people who are in the same boat, and unfortunately, they resorted to medicaid. Each state has something for pregnant women and children who are otherwise not covered by regular insurance.

Luckily, my pregnancy was covered but the baby isn't until he's released from the hospital, so i feel your frustration on trying to find some loophole into being covered.
 
#5 ·
I'm afraid I haven't heard of anything like that. I can't imagine that it would be offered just given the higher risk that the insurance company (who is out to make money) will have to pay out $$$$. I know with your hb that's unlikely to happen, but given our present birth climate it's very much a reality.

I do know that most temporary health insurance policies won't cover anyone who is pregnant, an expectant parent (read mother *or* father here), or someone who is going to be adopting a child b/c then they might have to cover the child on the policy (the only exception to the rule that you can't add addt'l people to the temporary policy after it's been purchased).

I guess I'd look into some kind of state health insurance, but tbh I don't know if you'd qualify since you already have major medical coverage.

ETA: I absolutely despise our h/i system in this country. It's a shame that so many people face dilemas like this everyday. Believe me...I've gone through something very similar this past month!
 
#7 ·
Crazy that they won't cover the baby until you are released from the hospital!!!! That just seems silly. I can see some guy in a suit in the insurance company office round table meeting saying, "yeah, lets cover pregnancy but not the baby till it's home and safe. heh, heh, heh, snicker!!" And the other suits looking at each other , leaning back in their leather rocky chairs, and nodding as they say, yeah, good idea. It's just so stupid!!!!

Anyway- I applied for state coverage but we didn't qualify, which is good news, I suppose. I love Kucinich. He's getting my vote. Plus he's vegan!!!
 
#8 ·
I'm in the same boat exactly. We don't qualify either (which yeah, would normally be a sign of good times) and our major medical wouldn't cover me unless I had been on it for 2 years and wanted to pay $480 extra a month. ha! We looked into the other options before we conceived but they all had waiting periods longer than we wanted or asked for more money than the pregnancy would cost in the first place! We're paying out of pocket up front for discounts at a birthing center (homebirth is almost not an option in MO). We're praying that we don't need to be admitted since we'd be paying that off for the rest of our lives.

There is one comforting thing though: as much as our health insurance system sucks, at least we live in a country where they aren't going to refuse you service if you need it. There's no physical danger to us - just financial. And hospitals have to negotiate charges with patients all the time. Heck, most of the uninsured girls I work with at the pregnancy resource center just never pay and eventually it's written off. I do *not* condone that as it is another kind of health care abuse (especially b/c taxpayers end up picking up the slack even when its unnecessary), but it does help me not to dismay so much about the "what if's."
 
#9 ·
Have you checked with your state to see if you are eligible for any state funded programs. In New York they have a program call Prenatal Care Assistance. It just covers anything prenatal. I think they take into account a lof of different factors not just income to see if your eligible. Once the baby is born the mother only gets one month of coverage but the baby is then covered for another year.

Oh sorry never mind. I just reread and saw were you had checked with your state.
 
#11 ·
I'm going to chime in on this one. IF you qualify... Medicaid is actually a great option. My husband is a veteran and receives healthcare from the VA but the rest of us don't, and I'm a SAHM. We do qualify for Medicaid. At first they enrolled me in a really strange state program which limited us to horrid clinics that were literally dirty and terribly depressing. Then for some reason (I still don't get their policies) they also enrolled me in a second program which covers AMAZING midwifery programs. Not home birth unfortunately but they DO cover birth centers which worked for us. Just something to look into.
 
#12 ·
I will join this discussion. I am in the same situation, pregnant with no health insurance. I do not have a solution as of yet, but will keep and eye on this thread and share if I discover anything.

This pregnancy was planned, and not having health insurance was definitely a concern but being a Canadian living in the US (for 8.5 years on a work visa) I find it hard to comprehend that this is an issue... "get pregnant or not, nope no health insurance..." (I had health insurance for my first pregnancy, (infact for the past 8 years) so am in unfamiliar territory)

(I know I do not qualify for any state programs, although I will check out Prenatal Care Assistance as I am in NY and have never heard of this one.)

These two sites are offering some kind of Maternity Coverage (although one says it is not insurance) - But both fail to give pertinent information, which makes me think its a bit of a scam...anyone every used either?:

http://www.maternitycard.net/enroll_bct2.asp
http://www.maternityadvantage.com/form1/mcard.asp

Right now I believe I will be paying cash; but plan to talk to my obg office and a midwifes clinic and other options to get as much information as possible.

Is it true that the fees for non-covered people are higher then the fees that are charged it insurance companies. Isnt that crazy?
 
#13 ·
Do you qualify for pregnancy Medicaid or another state-based health coverage? We make an ok amount (both grad students on fellowships) but still qualify (barely) for pregnancy Medicaid. They only cover pregnancy-related expenses, but obviously that's ok! They won't cover my CPM HB, though (not legal in NC
: ) but they'd cover ultrasounds or an emergency transfer etc.
 
#14 ·
Hey Steph congratulations!!!!! We were in the same boat when I was pg with Quinn and we just hoped for the best.
We wound up having to pay about $2000 out of pocket when we decided to try the external version, when Quinn was breech, but looking back, we probably would have paid AT LEAST that much in premiums, probably more for any insurance that would have covered pregnancy.

I assume you've already checked out if you qualify for HUSKY, I think they raised the income guidlines not too long ago, so if it's been a while since you've looked, you might want to check again. I remember my mw telling me that if you qualify for HUSKY and sign up in the your 3rd tri that they have had some success getting paid because they won't force you to change your care provider in the last tri.

Who is your midwife?
 
#15 ·
As someone that used to work in OB...
First see if you qualify for Medicaid. Every state is different as to their rules & regs. ex. Delaware is pretty easy. Pennsylvania is a bitch. Next, many hospitals have OB clinics and if you don't qualify for insurance, you may qualify for compensated care, reduced fees, or have a payment plan set up ahead of time. Also, in my area, Planned Parenthood has a prenatal program, all the prenatal care is done at the clinic, deliveries at the hospital, costs are greatly reduced compared to a private clinician.
 
#17 ·
there is the maternity card which is just basically a discount card. it is a decent option if you don't qualify for medicaid. I think it is around $90/month and you only have to have it from 6months on. I think they negotiate a 30-40% discount with the hospital, but if you are good at negoatiating, you could prob do that yourself if you offer them cash payment at the time of service. you could call the hospital where you are thinking about delivering and ask them what kind of discount they give for time-of-service cash payment.
 
#18 ·
You should definately check any state programs. I'm a grad student with no prior insurance and I'm covered through the PCAP program in NY and doing a midwife birth at a birth center. Not sure if medicaid type insurance programs cover homebirth, but they do seem to be covering more birth center/midwife oriented stuff.
Also having that type of coverage while your pregnant would cover you in case of emergency and you or baby needed to go to the hospital, the coverage on these programs also seems to cover you for at least a little while after the birth, in addition to covering the baby (PCAP covers me for 2 months after birth and baby for a year after their birth). Some midwives seems to be able to take insurance programs such as PCAP and medicaid as well.
Good Luck!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top