About Maternity Insurance

Many health care plans offered by employers have maternity insurance included in case of pregnancy. This type of insurance is important for taking care of the mom and the child because it pays for tests, doctor visits and hospital expenses. Without maternity insurance, a mom-to-be may receive substandard health care and she may not receive all of the care that she needs.

Function

• The main function of maternity insurance is to give the mother-to-be the proper prenatal care that she needs for a healthy pregnancy and delivery. A basic maternity insurance policy covers a preset number of doctor visits during the pregnancy and a number of visits following the pregnancy to ensure the mom and new infant are healthy. Maternity insurance also covers the hospital stay during delivery and a predetermined number of days following the birth of the baby. In many instances, maternity insurance provides coverage for any complications that could affect the baby during pregnancy and delivery.

Geography

• Every state provides some type of maternity insurance and financial help for women who are pregnant. However, the coverage and support differs. In California, for example, the AIM (Access for Infants and Mothers) Program covers all the necessary expenses directly related to the infant's health throughout the pregnancy and for 60 days after the birth. To qualify for the coverage, the expectant mother must be a California resident for at least 6 months, be less than 30 weeks pregnant, have no other type of insurance coverage and fit the program's income guidelines.

  Other states have similar programs. In Colorado, pregnant women without insurance can qualify for coverage that pays for 60 percent of their pregnancy-related medical costs. This applies to doctor visits, hospital stays and plans that cover the mother and the infant for a predetermined amount of time following the delivery. The only qualification is that she must be a Colorado resident.

  Maternity insurance plans throughout the United States are similar in each state. However, each state has different residency and income requirements in order to qualify for state-sponsored coverage.

Types

• There are a couple of different types of maternity insurance that an expectant mother can choose. The two most common types are private maternity insurance and state-sponsored maternity insurance. With the private type of insurance, the expectant mother either has a basic health insurance policy through her employer or as a member of a household that has a health insurance policy. For instance, her husband may have a health insurance policy through his employer and she can be listed on the policy as a covered dependent.

  State-sponsored maternity insurance is typically reserved for expectant mothers who cannot afford private maternity insurance or the costs of the doctor visits and hospital care during her pregnancy. This type of insurance coverage is covered under the "Geography" section.

Warning

• Some women may think they can get through a pregnancy without any doctor visits. As a result, they may see no need for maternity insurance. But this is dangerous. Going to the doctor during a pregnancy is critical to ensure the health of an unborn baby. The doctor can see if there are any problems that need to be addressed immediately. Some problems within the womb can cause life-long harm to the baby or could even be fatal to the baby and/or mother if not found early.

Misconceptions

• One major misconception about state-sponsored maternity insurance is that the expectant mother is not eligible for it if she is married. This is untrue in most states. The only requirement that most states impose on their maternity insurance coverage is that the household's income must meet certain requirements for the woman to receive coverage.

  Another misconception about maternity insurance is that it is expensive. In relation to most health insurance policies, though, maternity insurance is relatively inexpensive. This is because insurance policies specifically related to maternity are rather limited in that they are usually only offered for the duration of the pregnancy and 60 days afterward. These policies only cover issues directly related to the health of the baby, making them more affordable since they have a more focused scope of coverage.