Looking for Health Insurance Options for Pregnancy

I have BCBS w/ a maternity rider. Our ins has a $3000 family deductible and/or a $1500 individual deductible. After meeting the $1500 deductible for myself, BCBS picked up the rest of MY costs for delivery (my hospital stay was $4000 w/ a natural vaginal delivery w/out meds). My baby cost us another $1000 b/c no one else in the family had filed any medical claims for the year. Did we save $$ in the end? I'm sure we did and if I would have had another c-section (like I did w/ my first), it definitely would have been worth the $$.

Pregnant women will qualify for medicaid ... I know this because when I was pregnant with my daughter, I lost my job and I had all the health benefits. The medicaid is really great (MI has theirs go through two diff. companies including BC/BS) Good luck.

I was in the same situation like your husband(self-employed)and the insurance for a self-employed is so high that after I made all the calculation I discover that it was cheaper for me to pay then to have insurance. The total cost for me was $2500 for the doctor(all the visits during pregnancy plus the delivery of the baby) and the hospital was an other $2500. The only part really expensive was the anesthesist because I want epidural (and for his services I had to pay $1000).
I also tried the "so-called"discount services, but that ones are working only if you find a doctor which accepts it and most of the time the discount is unsignificant.
I am not saying do not get insurance, I just couldn't find with a price tag for pregnancy acceptable.
I know things could changed in 2 years (I had my baby 2 year ago), I just want to let you know how much it might cost if you do not have insurance.

I am having the same problem. We currently have high deductible insurance ($4000 for family) and pay about 6000 per year for our premiums. I will probably have to have a c section which cost about 15,000 just for the hospital stay and birth. That doesn't include prenatal visits etc. It is so difficult to compare premiums and coverage but it seems to me they either get you coming or going. If you don't pay a high premium, you will get less coverage and end up paying more in deductibles etc. Someone I know ends up paying 13,000 per year for family coverage with a low deductible so it seems like either way the cost will be approx. 10,000 to 13,000 after it is all said and done. I hope this helps.

Sorry J. - after fighting with BCBS to reinstate my health insurance due to their computer glitch (payments have all been made ontime)I am looking moving to Canada just so i don't have to choose between feeding my family or keeping them healthy.

If you can hold off for a while, I would wait to see if the government can come up with a realistic healthcare solution.

Good luck.

Apply for healthy moms and healthy kids Michigan Medicaid. I did when my husband lost his job and was able to get right on the insurance (in the middle of my pregnancy, no problems) and the new baby was completely covered 100% too. I had no deductibles, no co-pays, and everything was great. After the baby I was able to stay on for a little bit (enough at least to get my checkup and that was covered too) and everything went well. It saved us such a headache when he lost his job and gave us a real piece of mind. I then was required to get my own insurance or risk losing all coverage, but at least I got through the hardest part.

I have Blue cross Blue shield Perferred plus. I am high risk. So I get alot of ultrsaound and if i take an epidurl at birth. Well I get bills after for the epiduryl. But very rearly for the ultrasounds. Those are picked up if the dr office rights the right codes. I don 't know if this helps or not.

Well if you had healthy pregnancies and deliveries before, why no concider finding a birthing center? We have one local, it's a building, with rooms set up like a bedroom. The midwives help you deliver how ever you want. Ours is 3 min from a reg. hospital. The cost is much less than w/o insurance, but may be cheaper than purchasing a rider. My SIL delivered at ours and had a wonderful experience. Just an idea if a rider doesn't work out.

Hi J., We have HAP through my husband's work. While we have a doctor's office co-pay, when pregnant, you are only paying for the initial visit. I'm 25 weeks along and have only had to pay one co-pay. This is my first child with this insurance so I'm not sure how it will be in the end. If you want more information after delivery, send me a message in April. Good luck.