As I understand it, under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) group health plans cannot consider pregnancy a pre-existing condition, regardless of whether you were covered when you became pregnant. Very small group health plans may not be affected by this regulation.
I’ve included a link to a Department of Labor Web site that states the following:
‘”Moreover, under HIPAA, preexisting condition exclusions cannot be applied to pregnancy, regardless of whether the woman had previous health coverage.
In addition, a preexisting condition exclusion cannot be applied to a newborn, adopted child under age 18, or a child under age 18 placed for adoption as long as the child became covered under health coverage within 30 days of the birth, adoption or placement for adoption and provided that the child does not incur a subsequent 63-day break in coverage.”
However, if your company’s health plan does not include maternity coverage, then it won't matter. Be careful with so-called maternity discount programs; several state insurance departments have warned against discount health programs that seem like insurance but really are not. If you need financial assistance with prenatal care, I’ve listed some possibilities in the Source section below.
The possibilities include free clinics, county health departments, Planned Parenthood, using a birthing center instead of a hospital, and adultBasic from the state. However, I would recommend finding out what you want out of health care (the place you want to deliver, the doctor and nursing staff you like, etc.) and work from there. In the short term, go to a free clinic and see what they can do for you. Prenatal care is important!
When you are able to consider private health insurance, try using MostChoice.com to find the plan’s that right for you. You’ll be able to research health insurance rates online and you’ll be able to have offline conversations with multiple health insurance agents – all without charge or obligation. Tell the agents what you need and see if they can deliver a health plan that’s affordable and includes the features you need.
Here are some questions to ask about a new prenatal and pregnancy health plan:
- Does it cover prenatal care?
- What prenatal tests are covered?
- What kind of delivery do you want to have and which types are covered?
- Is anesthesia covered?
- Does it cover nursery costs?
- Are sick and well-baby visits covered?
- How much are co-payments, if there are any?
- How much is the deductible?
- Ask to determine how much your bill would be if you used the insurance