If you are a young woman who is not pregnant, you may ask yourself: Do I need maternity coverage? The answer is probably yes, if you plan on having children or think you may conceive anytime in the near future.
Approximately 13% of women who become pregnant each year who are not insured, which often results in inadequate prenatal care. In order to avoid being uninsured while expecting, it is wise to obtain maternity coverage even if you are not currently pregnant or trying to conceive.
If you don’t think you can afford maternity coverage as part of a private individual plan, you do have options.
Medicaid is a state run program that is federally funded. Medicaid provides medical assistance for low-income families and individuals. To locate an office near you go to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Some states have additional programs for women who are pregnant such as Medi-cal from the state of California. You can check with your local department of health at Health Departments by State for information on local programs that may further assist you.
Women, Infants & Children (WIC) is a federal agency that serves to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants and children under the age of 5. WIC provides nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care. To get more information you can go to the WIC site by clicking here: http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/default.htm.
Health Care Discount Programs
There are other alternatives to traditional health insurance and Medicaid. These alternatives offer a discount on your health care and may help you out. Make sure to check with your health care provider to find out what discount you would receive if you paid cash. Take monthly fees, deductibles and premiums into account. Here are a few examples of discount programs.
AmeriPlan is a discount plan that is currently available in all states except Alaska. AmeriPlan saves people up to 50% and more on their health care services. Benefits include physician, hospital, and ancillary services (i.e., lab work, tests, x-rays). Since AmeriPlan is not insurance, all pre-existing conditions are covered (except orthodontic treatment in progress), there are no deductibles, no waiting periods, no claim forms, and no annual limits. For more information on this discount program you can go to AmeriPlan. Or you can call them toll-free at (800) 647-8421.
Additional Ways to Manage Your Healthcare Costs
If you are looking for other ways to manage your prenatal healthcare costs in addition to health insurance options, some hospitals and doctors offices may let you set up a payment plan or offer a sliding scale. Many hospitals do offer these, but they are not utilized because people do not know what is available to them.
If you are having an uncomplicated pregnancy you may want to consider giving birth at a birthing center. The estimated cost of a delivery and prenatal care at a birthing center is about $3,000 – $4,000. This is half of what it would be for a delivery at a hospital. Many birth centers also provide sliding scales, payment plans, and accept Medicaid.
Written by Kelly Matlock
