"The Maternity Insurance Article" is for you if you are pregnant, are thinking about becoming pregnant, or have someone on your health insurance plan who is pregnant or will become pregnant, especially if you live in the state of Florida. The goal of this article is to explain some of your maternity options and bust some common myths about maternity insurance, maternity riders, maternity discount plans, and other types of maternity coverage.
First of all, you can't get maternity coverage under an individual health insurance plan if you live in Florida and are pregnant but don't have maternity coverage. Those who have the foresight to plan ahead and buy some kind of maternity coverage before they get pregnant are rewarded, while those who wait until they are actually pregnant cannot get individual maternity coverage. (If you are pregnant and have access to a group plan through your employer or your spouse's, now is the time to ask about your enrollment options. Most group health insurance plans cover pregnancy the same way they cover other illnesses. People who are sick will always want health insurance, and people who are pregnant or have a family member who is pregnant will always want maternity insurance.
If you want to add more maternity coverage to your individual health insurance plan but are not pregnant, there are a few things you should know. Most individual health insurance plans will let you pay extra for a "rider" that gives you some coverage during pregnancy. Most maternity riders have at least a 12-month waiting period before they pay out any kind of maternity benefit. Still, some other maternity riders, like the one that Golden Rule/United Healthcare offers in Florida, allow full benefits to be paid up to a set amount after 12 months and 50% of the benefit to be paid right away.
So, how much does a pregnancy really cost in our example state of Florida? How much should I be sure to get as a maternity benefit? How much will I have to pay out of my own pocket for the pregnancy and other costs? All of these are important questions, and the answer might be, "Not as much as you might think at first." FloridaCompare.gov says that the average cost of a normal delivery across the state is $1,689, while the average cost of a caesarean section is $14,458. As you can see, the costs vary quite a bit depending on whether or not there are any problems with the pregnancy.
The important thing is to know what your options are and to get health insurance and maternity insurance before you need them.
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