Maternity "insurance" and other fables!
Maternity insurance - is not "insurance". It is a "benefit". There is a BIG difference.
**Because of the new Health Care Reform Act we've had to
completely change this page.**
The good news is the page is shorter.
The bad news is your options are now very limited.
Almost all of the individual insurance plans in most states have stopped offering maternity health insurance, maternity coverage, or a maternity rider. In Arizona we now have only one company offering one health insurance policy with maternity coverage. The waiting period before conception is currently 12 months and for delivery is 21 months*. I just did a quote for a 25 year old in my neighborhood and the premium for this policy for her is $439 per month. It has a $3500 deductible and 30% co-insurance. If you want peace of mind this plan is good for you. Fill out our quote form for more information.
The following is a least expensive way to have a baby:
1. Purchase a health insurance policy if you don't already have one. All major medical insurance policies in Arizona will cover complications of pregnancy, such as a C-section, even the plan doesn't have maternity coverage included. You must have the insurance in place prior to conception. A $1500 deductible policy for the 25 year old is $132.70.
2. Purchase a Hospital Cash Plan (not available in all states). The plan will pay you up to $2000 when you go into the hospital and up to $200 per day. This will pay a good portion of the delivery. The plan will also cover your spouse and children for an additional premium. Click Here for more information. For the 25 year old a plan with the highest coverage will cost $43.73 per month. This means that the total premium for the health insurance and the Cash Plan is $176.43 per month, or $262.57 less than the policy which included maternity coverage. Since the waiting period of the policy with maternity is 21 months you'll be paying $262.57 times 21 for a total of $5513.97.
3. Call your own Ob-Gyn and/or several other doctors referred by your friends. Get the cost from them on a "routine maternity package" from conception to delivery without complications. This is also called a "Global Maternity Fee". In Arizona, that will be somewhere from $5,000 to $7,500. Pick the Ob-Gyn you want. First, ask them if they'll give any discounts because you do not have maternity coverage, many will discount 10% to 20%. Ask them to start billing you $200 a month (or whatever) until you have paid them whatever the global maternity fee is you two have agreed upon.
Let's say your Ob-Gyn has the most expensive package and will not discount anything from the amount. You'll be paying around $7500 for the delivery. You will receive $2600 from your Hospital Cash Plan leaving you paying $4900. If you have the policy with maternity you'll be paying the $3500 deductible plus $1200 co-insurance for a total of $4700. Add in the $5513.97 from the additional premium and your total cost for this delivery will be $12,213.97 (which is actually more than the global maternity fee!).
THAT is the least costly way to have a baby.
DO NOT purchase "maternity discount cards" because IF you can find a doctor that accepts the card the discount you receive will be about the same as the discount you receive in paragraph 2.
Contact us, or fill out our free quote form, for more information.
*Group plans with maternity coverage do not have a waiting period for maternity.
