How to Find Health Insurance Once You're Pregnant

Pregnancy can be one of the happiest times in your life, but if you're unprepared it can also be one of the scariest. It is estimated that over half of all pregnant women are uninsured, and the cost of maternity health expenses can be staggering for those paying out of pocket. The average cost of having a baby is $6378 for a normal delivery and $10,638 for a cesarean! Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to get insured while you are pregnant. Most insurance companies require you to be insured with them for a certain amount of time before you become pregnant, otherwise they will not cover any pregnancy costs. I learned this the hard way.

If you or someone you know is pregnant and uninsured—there are still things you can do to offset the costs. The first thing to do is to check whether your state has a program that can help. Illinois, for example, has a great program called Moms & Babies that helps uninsured pregnant women who meet the income requirements obtain the health care they need. Even if you are not a U.S. citizen, they can still help.

Another option is a program I recently learned about called Maternity Card. Maternity Card provides a solution for uninsured, expecting mothers, saving them up to 60% off maternity related expenses. You can get all the benefits of Maternity Card PPO even if you are already pregnant. Their program includes everything related to your maternity care such as doctors visits (including visits for the baby once it is born), prenatal vitamins and of course the delivery itself. They even come with a Certificate of Guarantee that you will save at least the cost of your yearly membership or they will pay you the difference plus $200 and you get to keep the benefits for an additional 12 months free of charge. Get Free Info on how the maternity card can help cut the costs of your pregnancy.

As I mentioned earlier, finding out you are pregnant can be a scary experience if you are financially unprepared. Rest assured that there are ways to get help if you need it. If you would like more resources for help in your area, feel free to send me a message and I will try my best to help. I would also highly recommend reading some of the savings tips we have on CoolSavings to help you get ready for your bundle of joy.