Health Insurance with Maternity Coverage

Families with women between the ages of 18 and 40 are likely at some point, if not more than once, to face the need for health insurance with maternity coverage. In normal situations, pregnancy requires around 11 months of prenatal and postnatal care, as well as a hospitalization of around two days. In more complex situations that do occur with regularity, additional tests may be required to assess the health of both the mother and fetus, as well as additional procedures once the baby is born.

Rising costs of Birth Delivery

Maternity coverage is not always an automatic benefit with many health insurance plans. Instead, this benefit is often an add-on, when it is offered, and can bring costly premiums. Medical costs for delivering a baby have been rising over the years, shown by the infamous practice of “drive-through deliveries” that kept new mothers in the hospital for a mere 24 hours. Some mothers without health insurance may choose to avoid the costs of prenatal care and simply wait until delivery to incur cost.

Insurance with maternity coverage is, however, very crucial for the health of both the baby and mother. A 2000 Health and Human Services conference noted “disparities in access, use, and delivery of [maternal health care] services,” and called for more research on this topic, particularly to serve underrepresented populations.

Most group health insurance plans do offer maternity coverage. Waiting periods of three months to a year are often required, so it helps to plan ahead if you think you or your partner may become pregnant. Employers' health insurance plans typically offer maternity coverage as part of the package. At most, the wait will be 30 days. COBRA benefits will cover you for 18 months as long as you apply ahead of time.

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