How to get Pregnant » Pregnant With No Insurance
Pregnant With No Insurance
Having access to proper prenatal care is essential to a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Yet, very few women in America are fortunate to have access to adequate healthcare. The main reason for this is lack of insurance coverage. If a woman is pregnant with no insurance, she has to face numerous hurdles financially, as well as health-wise.
Pre-Existing Condition
One of the biggest challenges women who are pregnant with no insurance face is that many insurance providers treat pregnancy as a pre-existing condition. Medicaid is a great resource for already pregnant women who are earning less than average. However, if the woman does not qualify for Medicaid, the costs associated with prenatal care and delivery can be extremely challenging to meet. For normal pregnancy, average costs associated with delivery range between 6000 and 8000 dollars. For higher risk pregnancies, costs are much higher.
Government Programs
If a woman is pregnant with no insurance, it is important that she seek out all available options. There are many government insurance programs, which are available at nominal rates. For example, Medicaid is specially meant for families falling within the lower-income bracket. Every state within the US has its own set of alternatives when it comes to financial assistance for pregnancy. Checking with the local health departments in the state can offer an insight into available programs.
Discount Programs
Compared to traditional alternatives like Medicaid, there are also various discounted programs offering financial aid to pregnant women. Discount programs of the likes of AmeriPlan can help women save as much as 50% of expenses pertaining to pregnancy. Some of the benefits from the plan cover hospital, physician as well as ancillary services, coverage of pre-existing issues, no requirement for claim forms, waiting periods or annual limits. All this is possible because AmeriPlan is not a traditional insurance, and as a result does not treat pregnancy as a pre-existing issue.
Hospital Services
If the delivery is happening at a hospital, a woman pregnant with no insurance can ask the accounts department in the hospital to establish payment plans. Several hospitals even offer sliding scales, which make it easier for the mother to pay towards expenses. If the pregnancy is relatively normal, delivery in birthing centers is a better alternative. The costs of delivery are almost half of the expenses in a hospital. Most of these birthing centers offer payment plans, sliding scales and will accept Medicaid.
DHS Assistance
One way to receive financial aid if pregnant with no insurance is to approach the DHS or Department of Health and Human Services. Once documents such as birth certificate, Social Security Card and driving license ID, along with identity and income proof are furnished, it should be easy to get financial assistance from them. Programs like AmeriPlan even have hospital advocacy programs wherein they negotiate reducing the bill amounts.
Pregnancy is a great time for any woman. While expenses can be high, it is important not to let the burden ruin the joy of motherhood. If pregnant with no insurance, evaluate all options and choose one, which suits the budget and convenience.