Starting Insurance While Pregnant

If you're expecting but have no insurance, there may be alternatives available to you that will lower the money you would have to pay the necessary medical expenses generated by your pregnancy. Failing to research your alternatives can mean that you are paying for your son's or daughter's birth for years to come. Your alternatives for maternity insurance if you're already expecting include employer-sponsored hospital and surgery insurance, government-sponsored medical insurance. If these are not available to you some non-insurance programs can lower your expenses by helping you get get a lower rate from your hospital.

If you are employed and will have a health care insurance open enrollment period before your baby arrives, you may be able to acquire medical insurance through an job-sponsored plan. If you're married, you should research alternatives with your husband's or wife's job in addition to yours.

If you are going to tie the knot and can do so before your son or daughter arrives, you may be able to be added to your spouse's insurance before the annual open enrollment period. With most group health insurance plans when an employee gets married their spouse is entitled for a special open enrollment period.

You may be qualified for health and maternity policies that are available through your local, county or state. In many cases these health care programs will accept women who are currently pregnant.

These policies may have some restrictions. They may limit what they pay and who they will pay. They may limit the doctors and hospitals you can go to.

There may be income requirements. Some plans may require that your income be under a certain level. Others may have no income limit but will ask those with higher incomes to pay more for the same medical insurance.

You can contact your local health department or Planned Parenthood for information on programs available in your area. If there are medical insurance choices for currently pregnant women in your area, they will probably know about it.

If you're unable to get hospital and surgery insurance that will cover your pregnancy, there are still things you can do to lower the costs you will have to pay. You can see which hospital in your area has the lowest rates. Hospitals can charge very different rates.

If you can pre-pay your maternity expenses, you will probably get a lower rate from your hospital. Discuss this option with the hospital you chose if you're able to do this.

You may also find that there are non-insurance programs available that will allow you to pay discounted rates to your hospital. If an insurance company pays for a person's medical bills, they typically pay what is known as the negotiated rate. This can be half what the hospital charges those who have no medical insurance. Even if you do not qualify for an insurance policy, you may be able to qualify for the same kind of discount.

You will have more choices available to you if you're able to get health and maternity insurance before you are pregnant. However, there may be choices available to you even if you are pregnant before you begin looking for pregnancy and health insurance.

Be sure to investigate all your options if you're currently pregnant and have no insurance. Doing so can save you a lot of financial pain.