How to Pick the Right Health Insurance in Wisconsin for Your Pregnancy

If you’re planning to start a family, health insurance becomes more important than ever. Not all health insurance plans in Wisconsin offer identical coverage and identical provider networks. If you’re looking for insurance for your pregnancy, you may want to consider these questions –

1. Is it an ACA-compliant plan?
   The Affordable Care Act (ACA) directs all ACA-compliant plans to cover pregnancy, childbirth and newborn care, including –
   • Anemia screening
   • Bacteriuria urinary tract or other infection screening
   • Breast Feeding comprehensive support and counseling from trained providers and access to breastfeeding supplies
   • Childbirth services
   • Folic Acid supplements
   • Gestational diabetes screening
   • Hepatitis B screening
   • Newborn screenings and checkups, as well as a range of immunizations for your baby 
   • Outpatient services (prenatal / postnatal doctor visits, gestational diabetes screenings, lab studies, medications, etc.)
   • Inpatient services (hospitalization, physician fees, etc.)
   • Newborn baby care
   • Lactation counseling and breast pump renta
2. Does the health plan’s network include your preferred doctors and clinics? Does it have the hospitals and / or birthing centers that feature the kinds of services you want when it’s time to deliver your child? 
   Some important features to consider include –
   • Nursery level ratings
   • Nurse-to-patient ratio
   • Annual delivery rate
   • Proximity to house
3. Are wellness programs offered for pregnant and postpartum women?Some health plans may offer programs to help with pregnancy, childbirth and newborn care. Unity’s 9 Months & More_SM program offers support, information and the chance to earn gifts (such as a breast pump). Unity wants to help you have a healthy pregnancy and childbirth. Learn more about the benefits and support Unity provides to moms and moms-to-be.
4. How much are your out-of-pocket costs for the pregnancy and childbirth? 
   

   
   The costs you pay during your pregnancy and delivery will vary depending on the type of health insurance plan you purchase. If you have a Platinum plan, your out-of-pocket costs may be lower. If you have a bronze level plan, your out-of-pocket costs may be higher.

   Fortunately, it’s easy to see how much a health insurance plan may cover. All ACA-compliant in Wisconsin must provide a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) that includes an example of normal childbirth delivery costs for that particular plan. To the right is an example of what this summary looks like.

   If you are buying insurance for a planned pregnancy, you’ll likely be using many health care services. In this case, it may make sense to choose a plan with lower out-of-pocket costs. That way, you may have a better picture of what your expenses may be for prenatal, maternity and newborn care.

   In addition, the ACA offers a number of subsidies that may help pay for premiums and some of the out-of-pocket costs. Learn more about health insurance subsidies.

Don’t settle for just any health insurance plan. If you’re pregnant or planning for children in Wisconsin, get a quote from Unity for quality health insurance for your pregnancy and childbirth.