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Is Health Insurance Possible for Pregnant Women?
Almost every new health insurance policy written will have a "preexisting conditions" exclusion for any medical condition an individual presently has. Pregnancy would fall into this group. While it may be nearly impossible to find a standard insurance plan to cover the upcoming delivery, there are some options that are available.
Most states offer low-cost, cost-effective health insurance for individuals and/or their children (and this is equipped with children within the womb in many cases!). In Indiana, we have a program called Hoosier Healthwise designed specifically for low income families. Pregnant women can be eligible for full coverage or pregnancy protection depending upon the family's income and assets. If you reside in any other state, check with your state's government website (website address is probably http://www.in.gov, just replace the "in" with your state's abbreviation).
Don't forget to check with an employer. You might be able to land a job that will provide health benefits before your baby is due. Most will contain some sort of probation period, normally 30-90 days before you become eligible for benefits. And, be sure to inquire about any pre-existing conditions clause if you haven't had coverage in the past year.
Do you belong to any trade groups or have any hobbies (cycling, homeschooling, small business, etc.)? Don't overlook these as an option. By pooling resources, many associations have been able to successfully negotiate benefits for their members. It may be worth a look.
As a final thought, you might consider some type of point of service health program. These programs do not make available insurance "protection" but discount the cost of health care services if the individual chooses to utilize the services of a provider in their network. Since they are not insurance products, they may not include an exclusion for maternity. Discounts range from 20-60%. While this option will not pay entirely for the delivery, it may be a cost effective non-insurance solution.
About the Author: Dave MacDonald is the webmaster of The Insurance Insider, a site which provides infomation about Health Insurance for College Students.
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