Community› The Bump Local Boards› Georgia Babies
Georgia Babies
New Discussion

Maternity Insurance, is it available anywhere?

mmluvswdwmmluvswdw member
in Georgia Babies

I am just wondering if anyone might have any suggestions on insurance for getting pregnant or while you are pregnant.  I'm willing to wait a year after we purchase but, my husband and I are going to be self insured, but, no one covers maternity.  Any suggestions or real life experiences would be great as I'm not sure what we're going to do and we want another child. 

Report Reply to Post

Re: Maternity Insurance, is it available anywhere?

  • MrsL1022MrsL1022 member
    While my DH was unemployed last year we looked into it the only company that would have provided decent maternity coverage would have been Kaiser. BCBS has it with a 1 yr waiting period and an absurd deductible and something like a 3k co pay. Decent maternity coverage is really hard to come by at a decent price.
    Colin Patrick-7/14/08 Lilypie Fourth Birthday tickers imageimageLilypie First Birthday tickers
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • frlcbfrlcb member

    imageMrsL1022:
    While my DH was unemployed last year we looked into it the only company that would have provided decent maternity coverage would have been Kaiser. BCBS has it with a 1 yr waiting period and an absurd deductible and something like a 3k co pay. Decent maternity coverage is really hard to come by at a decent price.

    I just had my dd on individual insurance, and our choices were Kaiser or BCBS. We went with BCBS due to wanting to use specific providers, and we paid an additional $150 a month on top of our premium (so, a high deductible plan for 3 people and maternity coverage was $771 a month, but now it is closer to $900 I think), and we had a 1 year waiting period to deliver (and they will not cover you if you are due after the year waiting period but deliver early) and a $3000 OOP, plus 10% I believe. It was worth it to us. These are the only two options in GA, and I don't even think Kaiser will take you if you are already pregnant. 

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • Mrs MannersMrs Manners member
    I have a friend who was in her 40's and had self coverage but her policy didn't cover maternity. She got pregnant (surprise!!!) and was able to get emergency Medicare somehow to help. Don't know the details but you should check it out if you find yourself uncovered and uninsured.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • MLvKMLvK

    I had my daughter with no maternity coverage and we "thought" we negotiated a good deal with the OBs office and the hospital.   We were unable to secure any maternity insurance because we'd not been insured in the US for over 6 months.  Medicare would not cover us because we had money in the bank. 

    I continually asked what additional fees and charges I should be aware of and was repeatedly told that everything would be covered under the umbrella of what we paid, provided we paid in full by my 7th month of pregnancy.  Which we did.  And obviously if I needed a C-section there would be additional fees, but we negotiated that price too. 

    Then the bills started coming.   In the end we paid over $20,000 to have her.   In retrospect, I wish I would have gotten a doula and a midwife and done a home birth.  

     

    Report Reply
  • ebearwifeebearwife member

    My mother had me in 1978 without insurance.  $20k in today's dollars sounds about right.  I think it was the equivalent or more in 1978 dollars and well, my parents had NOTHING and lived at or below the poverty level and did not get Medicare and expect the taxpayers to shoulder the cost.

    If you have had a C-section already expect to shell out the big dollars for independent coverage for maternity- if you can find it.  I don't know whether Kaiser is even covering independent maternity any longer.  I would just save money every month and stash it.  If you are not already pregnant you might be better off this way.

    Report Reply
  • frlcbfrlcb member
    imageebearwife:

    If you have had a C-section already expect to shell out the big dollars for independent coverage for maternity- if you can find it.  I don't know whether Kaiser is even covering independent maternity any longer.  I would just save money every month and stash it.  If you are not already pregnant you might be better off this way.

    This is not even a question they ask here in Georgia, so whether or not you have had a c-section is irrelevant when obtaining private maternity coverage here. 

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • coffeekittencoffeekitten

    When I checked with Kaiser recently they did NOT offer it. We just switched from group to private when in Oct. since my coverage ended after I quit to stay at home. I am not currently uninsured for Maternity but have it for health (and am still paying 480 a month with a 3500 deductible :(

     

    Report Reply
  • mmluvswdwmmluvswdw member
    From what I've found BCBS and Kaiser are not available in GA anymore.  That left me with United Healthcare, Humana, and Aetna and none of the cover maternity.  I'm sure medicaid won't cover us as we'll have money.  Argh!  So frustrated that you basically have to work out of the home to have decent healthcare and for sure Maternity coverage!
    Report Reply
  • frlcbfrlcb member

    imagemmluvswdw:
    From what I've found BCBS and Kaiser are not available in GA anymore.  That left me with United Healthcare, Humana, and Aetna and none of the cover maternity.  I'm sure medicaid won't cover us as we'll have money.  Argh!  So frustrated that you basically have to work out of the home to have decent healthcare and for sure Maternity coverage!

    When did you check? I literally just ended our maternity coverage with BCBS, and it was the only one available with Kaiser in GA, none of the three you mentioned offered it in GA.

    I am not sure who the OP is (it may be who I just quoted?) but I would highly recommend using a broker if you aren't because it is free to you and they can find you the best plans possible.

    It is frustrating but I actually see the insurance companies point - you are making a choice to have a baby, it isn't a risk, and technically insurance is there to cover a risk. It is like car insurance, they cover an accident but they don't pay if you choose to paint your car. Maternity coverage is a huge loss for insurance companies. 

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • amyb05amyb05 member

    We started private insurance through HumanaOne in July and it covers maternity. I double checked it last night after reading this post. We do pay $874/mo and have high deductables ($1kpp or $3500 family and $500pp or $1500 family for pharmacy) but maternity/newborn is not excluded. I did find it strange that when the newborn is in the nursery at the hospital that they will not cover standard care from the nursery. There are a lot of other exclusions, but it specifically says maternity is not one of them.

     

    Lilypie Fifth Birthday tickers Lilypie Third Birthday tickers Lilypie First Birthday tickers
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"