With all the changes in the medical system, things may get a bit confusing as to how to get health insurance. Health insurance helps you to pay for your medical care. It is really important for you especially when you are pregnant.

What health care services are covered for pregnant women ?

The affordable care act also known as ACA  says all insurance plans must cover  many services for pregnant women including the following :

• all prenatal care with no co pay. This means you do not have to pay  your health care provider each time you go for prenatal checkup
• labor and birth services
• breastfeeding help with no co pay which includes lactation consultant, breastfeeding equipments and breast pump

The ACA also says that insurance plan should cover these services for  everybody including pregnant women :

• checkups when sick
• regular checkups
• emergency services
• hospital care

The ACA say a plan cannot

• drop your health care insurance when you get sick
• charge you more for medical services if you’ve had a health condition in the past
• charge you more for health care services if you’re a woman
• set a lifetime or annual cap limit on coverage. This  means the insurance companies cannot stop paying for your medical expenses once they reach a certain amount of money. This applies  to your partner too
• make you pay unlimited cost out-of-pocket. The insurance companies have to set yearly limits on what you pay for your own health. Once you reach that limit, the company has to pay your expenses through the  rest of the year

How do i know what health care insurance to choose during pregnancy ?

It is important to look at the plan summary when choosing a health care provider. The summary includes the expected cost of pregnancy care. Every plan uses the same summary form so its easy to compare cost and services. You can find these summaries in health care market places.

Can i sign up for a health care plan if I’m pregnant ?

Yes, you can sign  up for health insurance during pregnancy. If this happens, pregnancy is known as a preexisting condition meaning you had the condition (were pregnant)  before you signed up for health care. The ACA also says that insurance companies cannot deny you or charge you more for a preexisting condition.

I need help paying for health insurance. What do i do ?

In most states, pregnant women can get Medicaid coverage which is a government program that offers  free or low-cost insurance to people with low income.  In some states , pregnant women who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid can get coverage through  Children’s Health Insurance Program CHIP. This is a government program that covers health insurance for some children and pregnant women that earn too much income for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance.

You can get information about health care plans and cost from pregnant women in your states market place. Be sure to indicate that you are pregnant on the market place application to get all the information about pregnancy.

 
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