What does health insurance usually cover during labor and delivery? These days, when women lead stressful lives as working mothers, home cleaners and child minders all rolled into one, as well as financial burdens, pregnancy is both an unlikely and a costly affair. Risks of ab-normalcy in the child is high, let alone the birth process. More than a quarter of births in the States are by cesarean section.
Your insurance plan that covers pregnancy is probably co-paid by the company where you are employed. You need to be especially vigilant that you need not change jobs during your pregnancy. This is because since part of the insurance is paid by the company, you would likely surrender your present policy and sign up for a new one whether you are continuing employment elsewhere or a stay-at-home mother.
If you belong to a state that abides by a federal law called COBRA and your company has at least twenty employees, you are fortunate. Your insurance will still hold up to thirty-six months after you resign from your job. Note, however, that COBRA is costly. However, if you are are likely to be in the family way and likely to lose your job, it is worth investing in.
You might want to keep an eye out for a similar insurance policy in your state if your company has fewer employees and you are not eligible for COBRA. Otherwise you will have to foot the massive bill for all your prenatal and labor and delivery needs and that can come to a hefty sum.
* Birth center or at home
Instead of a hospital, you might want to have your baby delivered at a birth center. Check out whether it is provided for in your policy because a few insurance companies do cover birth centers. Most policies, however, do not support delivery at home due to the high risks involved.
* Certified nurse midwife, gynecologist, obstetrician and pediatrician
Many insurance policies cover a certified nurse midwife. Have a policy that covers both a gynecologist and pediatrician because it is not possible to tell in a few cases if your newly born child would need the immediate care by a pediatrician.
* Nature of delivery
Most insurance policies cover normal deliveries. You may get coverage for high risk complicated delivery for a higher premium, especially when you suspect its existence in your family history. Certain more commonly heard of delivery circumstances that pose danger to the mother’s health may be included, such as placenta left after the birth of a stillborn. You will need to speak to the health care insurance in great detail and make sure it is in black and white before you sign your money over.
* Cesarean costs
Although safe in most cases, in very rather cases, some mothers may suffer from complications during delivery, and may need cesarean deliveries, or cesarean delivery might be proposed even at the beginning of pregnancy due to certain medical conditions that the mother has. These may be covered in some insurance policies.
If you are likely to get pregnant, it is best to start your health insurance policy way before your pregnancy so that you are well covered during pregnancy and delivery. Very few insurance companies will want to sign you on when you are already in the family. Whatever the situation, know your policy very well so that you do not get a rude shock when you cannot claim insurance coverage for some unforeseen circumstances.