October 2018 Moms
knottieamusements
member
Insurance!
knottieamusements
member
There is a discussion over in the Week 1 check-in about health insurance. It is a big topic, everyone’s insurance is different, and it can have a huge impact on finances and stress. As such, it seems like a good topic for everyone.
Some questions to get the ball rolling:
What country are you in?
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy?
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network?
When/how do you add baby to your insurance?
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductables?
Some questions to get the ball rolling:
What country are you in?
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy?
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network?
When/how do you add baby to your insurance?
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductables?
Re: Insurance!
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy? I haven't told them, but since I had to do IVF and I have already had 3 u/s through my RE, I am pretty sure they know.
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network? Absolutely! Only in-network. Luckily I have Aetna, so basically everything is in-network
When/how do you add baby to your insurance? Within a month of being born
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductables? Nope. That is my husbands job.
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy?
No, but I will probably reach out to see if they cover doula services.
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network?
Yes. I’m trying to keep all of my providers in-network. Luckily, my OB & Hospital are about 15 min away from both home and work.
When/how do you add baby to your insurance?
For me, I believe that I have 30days after birth to add baby. I can’t before birth. I have to do it through my employer’s HR
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductables?
Yes. I actually found out I was pregnant when we were in the middle of annual enrollment, so the numbers were staring me in the face. I put that cost right up there with figuring out how to afford day care.
Thank you for starting this thread! I was just reading those posts and thinking the same thing...
What country are you in?
USA
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy?
I did, although they did not require it and the information we needed was in our paperwork. It just made me feel more comfortable to have a conversation with them and go over things.
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network?
Our clinic/hospital are linked and both in our network, and also has an excellent NICU so even anything unexpected we might need is in-network for us.
When/how do you add baby to your insurance?
We notify DH's employer and they will take care of adding baby. His first official day there (after eight months of "probationary status" when he started) was literally the day our youngest was born and they were amazing.
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductables?
This is baby number five for us, so will not change our costs at all.
What country are you in? US
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy? Ehh, I'm part of a group because I work in the public school district so I called and spoke to a rep about the harmony test. I suppose they "know" but the'll really be notified by my OB once the heartbeat is seen on the u/s. That's when the bennies kick in
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network? Yes and no. I have CIGNA, so there isn't much that's out of network. My Dr/hospital/MFM are all in network, the only thing I pay extra is to have my labs done in office instead of getting a referral for quest, but it's only $25 so no biggie.
When/how do you add baby to your insurance? Once the littlest bean is born I have to contact insurance. I don't remember exactly the procedure with DD but I'm pretty sure I had to fax her birth certificate and fill out some info. Again, I don't remember it being a big deal the first time around (by big I mean complicated, and my premium won't increase with more children. It's a once cost serves all sort of thing)
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductables? Nope. It's one cost for 1 child or x amount of children so won't make a difference.
Married: 12/16/12
TTC #1: 06/15 BFP #1:07/13/15
D&C: 08/28/15
BFP #2: 09/26/15
M: 06/03/16
BFP #2: 02/12/18
L : 7/26/18 (SIUGR, micropreemie)
Also, look into if your company offers a Dependent Care FSA option. This is an account you can add money too pre-tax that can help you cover daycare expenses. Be careful though, FSAs do not roll over into a new plan year. So if your plan year ends with the calendar year, you might not want to do an FSA this year (unless you expect to need daycare in Nov/Dec). However, it might be something worthwhile for next year. This is a great option to save a little bit of money.
Look to see if your insurance offers any maternity information. I know that HAP (a MI based HMO) has a maternity website and that BCBS offers a "Special Beginnings" program. A lot of times its just helpful information.
I'd be happy to help answer any general benefits questions as I can!
US
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy?
Nope. Though last time my OB did submit something for me to handle the breast pump. They program they used was awesome. I never paid a dime and they continued to send me a box of pump parts every month for 6 months.
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network?
Only us in network, but just about everything around is in network so not a big deal.
When/how do you add baby to your insurance?
Within 30 days after birth.
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductables?
Baby #2 so nothing will change.
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy?
I have not yet, but at some point i will have to fight over some ridiculous charge, so i anticipate this discussion in the next few months.
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network?
yes, but it's pretty easy because my OB group works with the hospital, as does the pediatric group.
a word of warning, a truly hope none of you end up with a c-section, but for mine, they had the pediatric person on hand for the post birth assessment as out of network. It was big kerfluffle, which eventually ended in my favor, but go through that hospital bill with a fine tooth comb, ladies.
When/how do you add baby to your insurance? After birth, you have 30 days to switch to a family policy (if not already on one) and add baby.
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductables? This is our second, so there won't be a change. I have a HDHP, so i started dumping money into my HSA as soon as i found out i was pregnant. That was the much bigger change for me rather than the change in premium, which was pretty easy to swallow as i was prepared for it.
+1 for a dependent care FSA, if your company offers it!
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy? No.
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network? I am lucky enough to have really good insurance so I don’t really have to worry about this. I know all of my doctors and the hospital are in network, but if I have to see a specialist later I will find one in network.
When/how do you add baby to your insurance?
After the birth I have to contact the insurance person for my job and they take care of it. Sometimes it takes a little while. With DS there was actually an error and we didn’t find out until he was in the hospital at 9 weeks, but they retroactively covered everything.
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductibles?
When I selected my insurance plan I intentionally went with the one that has almost no deductible. Last go around I paid for
nothing related to pregnancy, birth or hospital stay. This time around should be similar. We will have to change our insurance though. Currently, even though DH and I both work for the schools it was cheaper for him to be on his own HMO because he never goes to the Doctor and me and DS to be on a parent child PPO under me. With this child I will have to switch to a family plan, so I image DH will get on our plan. Insurance enrollment is in the summer so we will figure it out then.
USA - Texas specifically.
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy?
No need at this time. They only need to know when live baby is born. Before that the only covered person is you.
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network?
Yes. All my providers are in-network. We don't really have that many choices around here anyways and most of them in town are covered.
When/how do you add baby to your insurance?
When we come home from Hospital we will call them and add him/her. Giving name and other info. Will have to call again when baby's social security card arrives.
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductibles?
This child will not change our premiums or deductibles. Only the first child made a change to our plan. All subsequent children cost the same.
Me 32 and DH 40
Fur-baby named Bella
1 MC Nov. 2013
DD born Nov. 2, 2014
Little 2 EDD Oct. 1
USA
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy?
Nope
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network?
I haven’t needed to yet, and don’t expect I will need to. I’m seeing the same OB as I saw from my previous pregnancies and she’s at a pretty big hospital that accepts my insurance.
When/how do you add baby to your insurance?
As soon as we have a SSN my husband will call his office manager with baby’s info and we’ll add him/her to our plan. I believe it has to be done within 6 weeks of birth.
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductibles?
Nope. Our insurance changed at the new year and tbh I don’t even know what our deductible is right now. Definitely have to look into that.
US - Mass
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy?
Nope
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network?
The local hospital/OB is in network and only 5 mins away from me.
When/how do you add baby to your insurance?
I just know I have 30 days to do it
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductables?
I am currently on my own insurance through work. MH gets his care through the VA so he doesn't pay for insurance through his employer. We have to decide if we should add baby to my insurance and have a $2k deductible for the baby (cheaper monthly) Or have husband pay for Insurance for all of us with no deductible but he doesn't need it...
USA
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy?
No, but I will call them after my first OB visit to verify that they cover the testing my OB wants done. I made the mistake of not doing that before and ended up with a $$$ bill.
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network?
I check to make sure specialists are in-network, but I think almost everybody around here is. I haven’t come across one that isn’t yet.
When/how do you add baby to your insurance?
My husband tells HR after the baby is born.
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductables?
No changes since we are on a family plan already. Our deductible resets on Oct 1 and I’m due Oct 24, so that will be fun.
USA
Are you proactively notifying your insurer of your pregnancy?
Nope
Are you paying attention to in-network vs out-of-network?
Yes, our health insurance is specific to a health system, so we can only go there, but they have everything that we would ever need and are the health system we've been using for years anyway.
When/how do you add baby to your insurance?
I don't know! Our awesome HR person is retiring in June after decades of service, which is making me really nervous. I hope to have most everything worked out with her before she leaves, but I'm pretty sure we have to wait until after baby is here to add them to the insurance.
Have you looked at/planned for how baby will change your premiums/ deductables?
Nope, we pay one price for individual or another price for family (no matter how many).
BFP #2: due 6/30/2017, MMC found 12/7/2016
BFP #3: due 10/21/2018