Where Can I Find Maternity Insurance?

Deciding to have a baby involves many pleasant activities, like setting up the nursery, choosing a name and unwrapping gifts at the baby shower. But parenthood also brings increased responsibility, including decisions related to medical care. Health care costs continue to rise, so many parents must find maternity insurance to help offset the expenses of prenatal care, delivery bills and post-delivery medical care. Finding the right policy may seem like an overwhelmingly complex challenge, but understanding maternity insurance will help you identify the best choice for your family.

Importance

• The American Pregnancy Association reports that more than 41 million Americans were uninsured in 2010, with many more consumers holding insurance but considered "underinsured." Some insurance companies consider pregnancy a pre-existing condition. The association estimates that about 13 percent of pregnant women lack appropriate maternity insurance each year. Uninsured women sometimes struggle to afford early-term prenatal care, choosing instead to seek medical care during later periods of the pregnancy.

Cost

• Without maternity insurance, pregnancy can become quite expensive. "Normal" pregnancies cost between $6,000 and $8,000 in 2010, according to the American Pregnancy Association, while pregnancies involving complications cost thousands more.

Employer

• If you're considering getting pregnant, check with your employer benefits office to learn whether your maternity insurance is a part of your existing plan. If you're not covered, ask to add maternity insurance benefits. This may increase your premium, but you'll still receive important insurance coverage during the pregnancy and delivery. If you're already pregnant, it's possible that you'll need to purchase additional maternity coverage through an outside insurance company.

Private

• If you're privately insured, purchase maternity insurance through your existing plan prior to becoming pregnant if possible. Some plans require a one-year or longer waiting period before coverage kicks in, which won't suffice if you're already pregnant. Otherwise, purchase additional maternity coverage through an outside insurance company.

Low Income

• Federally funded Medicaid offers maternity insurance for low-income pregnant women, including women who are already pregnant. If you'd like to locate a nearby Medicaid office, visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website (see Resources) run by the U.S. Department of Health. Your state's Department of Health offices can direct you to additional resources for maternity insurance, or programs that help defray the cost of pregnancy. One example, WIC, is a federal agency that helps low-income women and children with the cost of health care and nutritious food.

Discount Plans

• If you're having trouble finding maternity insurance, join a health care discount plan such as AmeriPlan. Because it's not a maternity insurance plan, pre-existing conditions (including pregnancy) aren't considered, making this an option for women who are already pregnant. Members can receive discounts of up to 50 percent through the plan, which includes no waiting periods for joining, no claims forms, no annual limits and no deductibles. Pregnancy Insurance.org also offers discount plans where members pay a small fee (about $30 per month in January 2011) for phone access to doctors, pharmacy access and chiropractic care.

Other Options

• Maternity insurance is just one way to curb pregnancy costs. You can also meet with the hospital's accounting office to ask about sliding pay scales for cheaper rates. Uncomplicated pregnancies might deliver at a birthing center, which typically offers lower rates.