Are You Covered During Your Pregnancy?
Many people in the United States are worried about the high cost of maternity benefits if they don’t have health insurance or if their plan doesn’t cover standard prenatal care. Nearly 50 million Americans have no health insurance at all. Others are covered, but the coverage excludes the typical costs associated with becoming a parent. For a lot of expanding families, this can be a major strain.
There is no need to panic at this time. Now is the time to investigate your options. The health of the mother and child should come first!
What are the costs of maternity care?
You must account for all of the examinations and doctor visits before the baby is born. Afterward, the mother and the child will each have a hospital bill. In some places, a typical pregnancy is estimated to cost at least $10,000. If there are any difficulties, that amount could be doubled or tripled.
Get Help With Maternity Costs
The costs can, however, be covered in other ways! Let’s examine some strategies for reducing the cost of maternity care.
Low Income Help
Public health programs might be your best option if you have a low to moderate income.
CHIPS (The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a joint state-federal health insurance program that provides coverage for kids from low- to moderate-income families. Additionally, it offers that assistance prior to childbirth so that eligible mothers can receive prenatal care.
In each state, this program is different. By conducting a web search for CHIPS in your state, you can find information and applications.
Medicaid is the state and federal health insurance plan for people with low incomes. You can look up Medicaid information and applications for your state to see if this also covers expectant women.
Prenatal Help For Middle to Higher Income Families
You might be able to get some assistance even if your family earns too much money to be eligible for CHIPS or Medicaid. A bill of $10,000–$20,000 can put a strain on your finances even if your family makes $50,000 per year. Young families who haven’t had time to save money are particularly affected by this.
A lot of counties have hospital districts that offer their services on a sliding scale. Additionally, you can conduct a search for nearby philanthropic, charitable, or religious institutions. The assistance could take the form of waived fees, low- or no-interest loans, or even grants.
Maternity Payment Plans can be arranged with some doctors and hospitals. They have systems in place to assist families in paying for maternity care because they are aware that not everyone has health insurance to cover the majority of costs. To learn more about payment plans, contact nearby medical facilities.
Get Employment Health Benefits
Finding a job with health benefits that will cover the costs may still be possible, even if you or your spouse is already pregnant. This might not be simple, and even if you are able to find employment right away, some companies have a waiting period before offering health insurance. The pregnancy, however, is not a pre-existing condition for group health plans. You should be aware that this is not true of individual health insurance, and you will not be accepted if you are already pregnant.
High Risk Health Pools
The state high risk health pool could be of assistance or not. It might cover your pregnancy in some situations, but in others, it might treat it as a pre-existing condition and impose a protracted waiting period. It will be your responsibility to research your state’s high risk health pool. Another recent federal high risk health pool is available.
Have A Healthy Pregnancy
These days, having a child can be very expensive. To help you with the costs, there are local, state, and federal resources available. To take good care of the mother and unborn child, pay attention to getting any help you can.