What you need to know about maternity and newborn health insurance

Whether you are pregnant or considering starting a family, it is important to make sure you have an appropriate health insurance plan to cover your maternity care and future incorporation into your family.

Going to parenting without adequate health insurance can leave you in debt for life. Here are some basics to get started:

Maternity care, especially labor and delivery, can be expensive if you have to pay out of pocket: According to a recent report by Childbirth Connections, a nonprofit maternity care organization, the average hospital rate that Uncomplicated maternity insurance providers are paid over $ 10,000.

And if you need a cesarean section and you have complications that lead to longer hospital stays (like infection), the cost can easily rise to around $ 24,000.

Worse yet, these price tags do not take into account associated costs, such as prenatal care, ultrasound, or other forms of testing, such as amniocentesis.

Until recently, very high-income women were eligible to qualify for federal or government assistance and had not received group health insurance through their employer with few or no health insurance options to cover maternity and delivery care.

Obamacare has made it easy for women to get quality maternity coverage, whether they are pregnant or not.

The law requires that all health insurance plans include coverage for maternity care, and the plans cannot impose mandatory waiting periods before complying with maternity care claims.

Due to the high costs of having a child, you may reach the person with the maximum deductible in your health insurance plan upon entering labor. If you can make the change, consider choosing a plan that has higher premiums but fewer discount payments.

In the Obamacare health insurance markets, also known as exchanges, the difference between the bronze and gold tier plans can range from $ 100 to a few hundred dollars per month (depending on your age and location), but the Bronze Plan will only cover 60 percent of your costs, while Gold Plan covers 80% of costs.

Once born, your newborn will automatically be eligible for coverage from your insurance provider under the Health Insurance and Liability Act, and you will have at least 30 days to register your new baby in your family plan .

This does not mean that all expenses related to children will apply to your individual plan. Instead, you will be responsible for paying an additional premium for child health coverage, and expenses that exceed what your plan will cover (which may include caring for newborns while in the hospital) will apply to your account.

Depending on your family's income level, you may be eligible for Medicaid during pregnancy, even if you are not eligible under normal circumstances (this has been the case since 1987, according to a federal ruling). Even if you were already pregnant when you applied for coverage, if accepted, pregnancy related medical bills for the past three months will be covered retroactively.

Your child may also be eligible for CHIP coverage; Check the income requirements in your state to see if your family is eligible for free or low-cost coverage.