Getting good maternity health coverage in areas that do not provide government health benefits is typically a matter of selecting a health insurance policy that offers comprehensive maternity health coverage. You should also consider supplemental insurance in situations where your regular policy does not offer adequate coverage and make sure that your maternity care providers are in-network for insurance purposes. If you receive health care coverage through your employer, you may be able to choose policies that offer you extensive maternity health coverage. If you have an individual insurance plan, your choices may be more varied, and you may have to specifically select a plan that provides maternity health coverage. In some areas, if you do not have adequate health coverage during a pregnancy, you may be eligible for government or private programs that can assist you with covering the costs of prenatal care and childbirth.
If you are presented at work with a choice of insurance plans, carefully review the types of maternity health coverage available. Check to see whether prenatal care is covered under the policy, as well as your stay in a hospital after giving birth. In some places, laws require insurance companies to cover a certain length of stay for women who have given birth and may even require coverage for extra days in the hospital if you give birth via cesarean section. It is important, however to determine whether your company's group health insurance covers any of the services before committing to a specific plan.
In situations where you do not have the option of receiving group coverage through your employer or you prefer to purchase your own health insurance, you may find that maternity health coverage is one of many options that you have when selecting a policy. If you work through a broker or an online health insurance service, you will likely be asked if you need maternity health coverage. Be aware that if you do not choose this coverage and you or your spouse becomes pregnant, you will likely have to pay all associated costs out of pocket. Again, you should review the maternity health benefits offered by each policy for which you are eligible to ensure that you get the type of coverage that you need.
In some cases, it is possible to receive maternity health coverage through government programs or private charities if you are uninsured or your insurance does not provide coverage for maternity care. As soon as you find out you are pregnant, you should contact your local social-welfare agency to find out about medical programs for pregnant women. Depending on your income, you may be eligible for reduced or no-cost prenatal and childbirth care.