The short answer is perhaps, because there are three insurance options you might qualify for, and two state assistance programs. It's hard to get health insurance when you are already pregnant because insurance companies view being pregnant as a "Preexisting Condition," and the costs for a normal prenatal and delivery are much greater than the total monthly premiums you would pay for a California maternity health insurance plan. Additionally, if there are complications then the costs climb at an exponential rate (premature babies can use over $30,000 - $85,000 in medical costs in the first weeks of life, and more than 1 in 10 California babies are premature or underweight). Because of these costs and risks, Health insurance companies will decline applications from women that are pregnant when they apply, so other strategies will have to be explored by the mother to be, in order to get maternity coverage.
The first alternative is to join a group health insurance plan at the company you work for or your spouse's company. Almost all group health insurance plans offer maternity coverage. This is not an a slam-dunk however, because group health insurance plans have open enrollment periods during which employees and dependents can be added to the company health insurance plan. If your pregnancy occurs within a few months of the open enrollment period, then you can use this option and simply pay for the cost of the early prenatal visits out of pocket, until you are on the group plan.
Insurance option number two applies to women that have their own medical without maternity care. In this case, you should ask the insurance company if you can transfer to a plan that offers maternity care. Blue Shield of California will allow this kind of transition, but other health insurance companies in California will not.
The third alternative is to apply for the California Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP California) that was created by Health Care Reform. To qualify for this plan you must have been uninsured for at least 6 months, and have been declined by a health insurance company. This plan will provide coverage for prenatal care and delivery costs, and the premiums will be less than the cost of a comparable health insurance plan.
If these options don't solve the problem, then look to see if there are programs offered by your State's Department of Insurance. Every state offers a version of the Medicaid program and many states offer other programs for women that do not qualify for Medicaid. The state of California offers the Medi-cal program (California's version of Medicaid), and the Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) program.
If you are pregnant and don't have health insurance, then you should start with Medi-cal first to see if you qualify for coverage through their program. Medi-cal provides a zero-cost health plan for pregnant women that meet specific income limits. Medi-cal is intended to cover families and women that are below the federal poverty level. If you don't qualify for Medi-cal then apply to the AIM program.
The AIM program is provided for middle-income families that don't have health insurance and whose income is too high to qualify for Medi-cal. AIM provides low-cost health care coverage for pregnant women, and is also available to women with health insurance plans that have a maternity-only deductible or a co-payment of more than $500. Eligibility for AIM requires that a single mother have a household income between $2,453 and $3,679 (there is a table with income limits for families of various sizes at http://www.aim.ca.gov/Costs/Income_Guidelines.aspx). A word of caution about he AIM program, is that it is funded by the State of California, and if the funding is cut or the program fills up, then no additional mothers will be enrolled.
Individual health insurance with maternity coverage is not usually available after a woman becomes pregnant, but not having maternity coverage can be a financial disaster due to the cost of maternity care and baby delivery. The five options outlined here, joining a company health insurance plan at your workplace or your spouse's, transferring to plan with maternity coverage, applying for the PCIP plan, or applying for State programs such as Medi-cal or AIM, will usually provide a solution for all mothers to be. With these solutions, having a baby can be a time of joy and new beginnings.
The first alternative is to join a group health insurance plan at the company you work for or your spouse's company. Almost all group health insurance plans offer maternity coverage. This is not an a slam-dunk however, because group health insurance plans have open enrollment periods during which employees and dependents can be added to the company health insurance plan. If your pregnancy occurs within a few months of the open enrollment period, then you can use this option and simply pay for the cost of the early prenatal visits out of pocket, until you are on the group plan.
Insurance option number two applies to women that have their own medical without maternity care. In this case, you should ask the insurance company if you can transfer to a plan that offers maternity care. Blue Shield of California will allow this kind of transition, but other health insurance companies in California will not.
The third alternative is to apply for the California Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP California) that was created by Health Care Reform. To qualify for this plan you must have been uninsured for at least 6 months, and have been declined by a health insurance company. This plan will provide coverage for prenatal care and delivery costs, and the premiums will be less than the cost of a comparable health insurance plan.
If these options don't solve the problem, then look to see if there are programs offered by your State's Department of Insurance. Every state offers a version of the Medicaid program and many states offer other programs for women that do not qualify for Medicaid. The state of California offers the Medi-cal program (California's version of Medicaid), and the Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) program.
If you are pregnant and don't have health insurance, then you should start with Medi-cal first to see if you qualify for coverage through their program. Medi-cal provides a zero-cost health plan for pregnant women that meet specific income limits. Medi-cal is intended to cover families and women that are below the federal poverty level. If you don't qualify for Medi-cal then apply to the AIM program.
The AIM program is provided for middle-income families that don't have health insurance and whose income is too high to qualify for Medi-cal. AIM provides low-cost health care coverage for pregnant women, and is also available to women with health insurance plans that have a maternity-only deductible or a co-payment of more than $500. Eligibility for AIM requires that a single mother have a household income between $2,453 and $3,679 (there is a table with income limits for families of various sizes at http://www.aim.ca.gov/Costs/Income_Guidelines.aspx). A word of caution about he AIM program, is that it is funded by the State of California, and if the funding is cut or the program fills up, then no additional mothers will be enrolled.
Individual health insurance with maternity coverage is not usually available after a woman becomes pregnant, but not having maternity coverage can be a financial disaster due to the cost of maternity care and baby delivery. The five options outlined here, joining a company health insurance plan at your workplace or your spouse's, transferring to plan with maternity coverage, applying for the PCIP plan, or applying for State programs such as Medi-cal or AIM, will usually provide a solution for all mothers to be. With these solutions, having a baby can be a time of joy and new beginnings.
About the Author:
Tim Thompson, a published author in the Insurance Industry. Find the best Maternity Health Insurance information, by visiting SPF Insurance. Get recommendations and instant health insurance quotes.. This article, California Maternity Health Insurance for the Pregnant: Does It Exist? has free reprint rights.