If you bought your health insurance coverage after 2010, pregnancy and childbirth will likely be covered when using doctors and clinics in the plan’s network. However, if you plan to deliver your baby at home or in a birth center, you need to check with your insurance company on the specifics of your pregnancy and delivery insurance coverage.
What Do I Need to Know About Health Insurance for My Birth Plan?
A good thing to do is to fill out your birth plan and then check your health insurance coverage if you’ve selected the following –
- Delivery by a midwife
- The presence of a doula
- Use of a birthing chair, stool or a water birth
- Acupressure or massage for pain management
DOES MY PREGNANCY HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE INCLUDE ALL CHILDBIRTH COSTS?
It depends on your plan and whether you’ve already reached your deductible. In central Wisconsin, having a normal birth in a hospital costs about $7,540 without insurance. If you have a cesarean birth, the costs range from about $17,000 to $21,000.
Pregnancy insurance coverage typically covers the following for childbirth –
- Hospital charges for the mother and baby
- Routine obstetric care
- Anesthesia
- Laboratory tests
- Prescriptions
- Radiology
- Vaccines and other preventive care
However, if you choose to give birth at home, with a midwife, the costs range from $1,500 to $5,000 without insurance. This may be partially covered by your health insurance – you should check ahead of time.
In general, the following are not covered by health insurance –
- Doulas
- Private rooms
- Out-of-network facilities or services (except emergency care)
- More than two, 2D ultrasounds during pregnancy (with no diagnostic purpose), also known as keepsake ultrasounds
- ‘Take home bag’ filled with diapers, wipes, pacifiers, etc.
Have questions about your pregnancy health insurance coverage? Give us a call at 800.362.3310 to talk to one of our customer service representatives.
