The time of year for open enrollment in my husband's employer provided health insurance is here again. And again, the premiums have gone up while his salary will remain the same. It's getting a bit ridiculous, how expensive health insurance is, even when it's provided under an employer's group benefit. As a result, we are shopping around for an alternative. The problem is, I'm finding it tough to find plans that include maternity coverage, and for those that do include it the cost is astronomical. We're not done having babies, so we can't afford to not have this coverage, but there's got to be something more affordable out there. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I tried to find this a few years ago and the best I could find was Blue Cross Blue Shield, but it was a 2 year waiting period before coverage would kick in.
Get an insurance broker. Google health insurance broker in your zip code. Give them all the familys info and a copy of the offer you have gotten. They will be able to search all the companies for you and come up with your best options.
I have never had employer-provided health insurance. The only way we were able to afford any insurance at all was to accept a very high deductible, which we raised every few years (started with $4000 yearly deductible and are now up to $6000, with exclusions for pre-existing conditions). So we still pay for all of our medical care out of pocket, in addition to a hefty premium every month (nearly half my take-home).
But we wanted to be responsible and be able to keep our home in the event of an expensive health catastrophe, so we had a broker/agent help us find the policy we settled on, Assurant Health. We have not been happy with it, but nothing better is available.
Our agent told us that insurance companies charge up the wazoo for private policies, because individuals don't have the bargaining strength that larger employers have. And group policies have to cover all their participants equally, without individual exclusions. So individual policies help underwrite the cost of group policies. So you will probably do better with your husband's policy, but if you do find somehting better, I hope you'll post if for other moms' information.
Not to my knowledge. We searched high and low and ended up moving to a location with a hospital with an affordable out of pocket rate for Mennonites and Amish! Most of the plans are pretty much designed to make it impossible to be covered for pregnancy without paying as much for insurance as you would out of pocket. Our cheap hospital happened to be one of he most highly rated maternity ones though in addition to having the affordable out of pocket rate. If you want to commute to central PA for your prenatal appts and delivery, I'll give you the info :) Each birth was only around $5000, but my third was an emergency c section which set us back quite a bit more.
The problem with needing maternity coverage is by asking it means you are planning on having another child. So when they calculate what it will cost they are asking for up front the cost of having a baby and related charges including what complications may come up. You would actually be better off saving the difference and paying out of pocket if you are confident you will be health and have a healthy baby.
I can't remember where I heard this but it is true, insurance is gambling that something will go wrong. After all you only make money on it if something bad happens, otherwise you are prepaying for services.
I completely understand! With our last baby we did a little math and figured out that if we self paid we would actually be paying less. Most hospitals will give you a discount if you pay in cash by 30 or 34 weeks. It cost us 5,000$ for a vaginal delivery, and 550$ for anesthesia. I did end up being hospitalized twice but we still only paid 5550. Our neighbors use Good Samaritan Ministries, it's not insurance but it's like a co-op. Not sure exactly how it works but for thier family of 4 they pay around 300$/month, meanwhile we are paying 700$/month for my healthy family of 4!
A lot of states have public maternity insurance programs in which you pay on a sliding scale basis. I don't know if your state is one of these or if you would be eligible but you could look into it. Otherwise, try BCBS. I don't know what you consider affordable. They have two people plans that include maternity for under $500 per month.
Nope, in the same boat. I home birthed my last one, it saved hospital costs.
I agree with the suggestion to use an insurance broker.
I wonder if Zander Insurance (who Dave Ramsay used to recommend a lot) brokers health care? Check their website.
Just another reason why health insurance should not be tied to an employer!
Good luck!
I hear ya! I get so sick and tired of hearing that my husband's premiums are going up. Pretty soon, I'm going to have to get a part time job so that we can afford health insurance! I don't think you're going to be able to find anything more affordable that includes maternity coverage. It's usually the reason the premium's are so high even with employer provided benefits especially if the company has a lot of employees within childbearing age-range.
