Tuesday, December 8, 2009

What is the best type of health insurance for my wife and I during her pregnancy


What is the best type of health insurance for my wife and I during her pregnancy?
My wife is pregnant and we are looking for coverage while I am in-between jobs. We don’t qualify for access because my wife will make too much and COBRA is expensive but it is the only option that I seem to have because all other insurance companies say that pregnancy is a “pre-existing” condition.
Does anyone know of any temporary health insurance I could use? I’d also rather not get a discount plan.
Insurance - 9 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
In most cases where your unemployed she could get state medical insurance for her, and any children. Suggest you check your local state website for income guidelines and assistance. WIC and other additional benefits may assist you while you get back on your feet.
2 :
You'd better stay with COBRA coverage if you can.
3 :
Unless you can get another employer based coverage, there is no other insurance that will take you. Group insurances cannot pre-exist pregnancy. Your other option is to contact your doctor and chosen hospital for cash rates for pregnancy and get insurance for all of you after the delivery. The down side is that you do not have coverage for complications, should they arise. Contact a local independant agent for a better selection of plans and premium rates.
4 :
Technically you have coverage as long as you have the COBRA "Option" usually you have 62 days to let the insurance company know that want to pick up the COBRA coverage. If during this time you need to use the insurance then you have to pay full price for COBRA but if you find a job offering group plans during that time you have received two months of coverage for "free" Individual coverage will not cover a female who is currently pregnant even if they could exclude the pregnancy (You wouldn't want that anyway) Find a Job with health insurance and take it even if it is not your ideal job or even in your field.
5 :
you can opt to only sign up your wife for cobra.. you will not get approved on ANY individual plans, because as you know pregnancy is pre-existing. however, if you get insurance through work, its not. otherwise you will need to pick something up through the state for her.
6 :
Cobra is your best bet. Now that she's pregnant, no health insurance company is going to insure her, PERIOD, even without maternity benefits. Except welfare health insurance - through your state CHIPS program, if you qualify.
7 :
You could apply for an individual health insurance plan on the open market (either temporary or permanent) if you are fairly healthy and find a much cheaper rate than the expensive COBRA group health insurance plan - however your wife will not be eligible for coverage until after the pregnancy. The best bet for your wife will be to either accept the COBRA health insurance offer or see if she is eligible for some form of State or County governmental assistance plan. One thing that you may want to do that I haven't seen anyone else mention is for you to personally decline the COBRA plan and purchase a regular individual health insurance plan on the open market for cheap (as long as you are healthy) and then have your wife stay on the COBRA plan until after the pregnancy. This way the cumulative premiums will be much lower with you on the individual plan and your wife on the COBRA plan than if you both were on the COBRA plan and on top of that they COBRA plan will cover your wife's pregnancy. Here is some more information on COBRA health insurance, maternity health insurance, and on finding a cheap health insurance plan:
8 :
Try this one - http://healthplans.my-age.net - My wife personally had their health insurance while being pregnant. It is affordable and has good coverage.
9 :
hi there, I hope my answers can give you some insight. Yes, i do agree that most insurance companies have this condition on their policies, however you can look at individual states to see whether you qualify for cheap insurance coverage. Most answers can be found at http://www.17mininfertilitysecrets.com/truthsreport/


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