Health Insurance Articles
Why Expecting Mothers Should Talk To Their Health Insurers Asap
2010-01-06
Pregnancy can be both an exciting and daunting time, and newly pregnant women have a great deal to learn about pregnancy, childbirth and childrearing in a mere nine months. Learning about their health care coverage should be at the top of that list. Unfortunately, this important task is all too often overlooked. However, learning about maternity coverage may be the most important action a woman takes during this time. Proper prenatal care is a vital factor for a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby. Therefore, all women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant should familiarize themselves with their health insurance carrier's policies and procedures regarding this as soon as possible.
In this day and age, expectant women have a number of different options for medical care and childbirth. However, not every option is covered by every insurer. Different health insurance companies have different protocol for dealing with both prenatal care and labor/delivery coverage. For instance, some insurance companies may require preauthorization for all prenatal visits; and they may require a cap on the length of the mother and child's hospital stay after delivery. Different insurers have different takes on home birth, midwifery and other non-traditional decisions that might be embraced by a woman and her family.
Whether she holds an individual policy or is part of a group policy covered by an employer, it is well within the rights of every expectant mother to know what her health insurance premium will cover with regard to prenatal, labor and postnatal care. She should also know about coverage for routine and emergency pediatric care. While a human resources department or doctor's office might be able to provide some guidance, ultimately it is every woman's responsibility to know her personal insurance coverage and terms. For this reason, they may want to inquire with customer service representatives from the insurance company who are prepared to make policies clear to policyholders. Women should make full use of this resource.
Expectant mothers, or women who plan to become pregnant, should put together a list of questions to ask their health insurance company. On the list should be questions about pre-authorization, meeting deductibles, prenatal visits and hospital coverage and postnatal coverage for both mother and baby. Other relevant questions may pertain to genetic testing, out-of-network coverage, emergency care policies and epidural/medication coverage. Women seeking such information might ask her doctor's office, as well as friends and family, what sorts of questions she should ask before contacting her insurer.
Knowledge is power, and knowing what coverage is available during pregnancy can make a busy and beautiful time just a bit less hectic and a bit more empowering.
