Florida maternity health insurance is essential for most pregnant woman because having a baby can be pretty expensive. There are many circumstances that factor into the type of costs you will encounter during the pregnancy and delivery. The costs of the total pregnancy can range from $7,000-$13,000.
Most Florida health insurance plans cover less than half of these costs. If you are able to plan ahead and have prior insurance that is great. Just check into your plan and see what type of maternity health insurance coverage in FL is available to you. If you are not covered under any insurance policy or your current policy does not have the type of coverage you need, this article will give you some options as to what your next steps should be.
Some questions you will need to ask yourself when looking for maternity insurance include:
- Will I be covered for prenatal and maternity care?
- Will I need referrals from my family doctor?
- If an extended stay at the hospital is needed, how long will the baby and I be covered? What type of procedures such as ultrasounds, labwork, and diabetic testing will my plan cover?
- I want to have my baby at home, am I covered?
Independent agents, at the number above, can help you find a plan and provider that deals with all these questions and more.
Types Of FL Maternity Coverage Available
- Medicaid: Medicaid is one route to consider when searching for maternity insurance. Check your eligibility at the Florida Medicaid office, or online at the state website. Eligibility will depend on your total household income. If you are not already on Medicaid and are eligible during pregnancy, this policy will cover anything dealing or pertaining to pregnancy alone. This includes all prenatal care through delivery, and even up to your six week checkup. Your baby will also be covered for a certain amount of time after he/she is born. To keep your child covered after they are born, you will need to re-apply for a Medicaid number of their own after the six week period.
- Private Coverage: People who are not eligible for Medicaid have the option for private maternity insurance policies. These policies may have different rules from that of an employer plan, so again if you have an employer group plan, you need to check with them to find out the type of maternity coverage available to you. In Florida, regular full coverage health insurance plans usually offer an optional pregnancy or maternity rider. If you already have a full coverage health insurance policy, a rider is just a supplement that gives you additional benefits. Most pregnancy riders will only cover costs related to a normal or standard delivery.
- PPO: Another option is a PPO health insurance plan that is offered in every Florida County. You must sign up for the maternity portion when you get this plan. This plan has a 90 day wait before you can get pregnant. This means that any and all maternity benefits will not be available to you until the policy has been held for a 90 day period. This plan will cover doctor office visits, hospitalizations, and prescriptions, and has a separate deductible for all maternity related costs. There is a wide variety of PPO networks, so more than likely you will find that you will be able to keep your doctor and still be covered with this plan.
Keep in mind that federal law states that if you work for someone with 15 or more employees, any costs dealing with pregnancy related issues will be covered by their group policy.
Compare Your Options Now!
When deciding what insurance company and policy is the right one for you, make sure you weigh all your options. Having a baby can be stressful enough without figuring out how to pay for all the costs. Make sure all your questions are answered before you decide on any insurance policy. Know what you are getting and know that you are covered the way you want to be.
Let one of our independent FL health insurance agents help find the right company and policy for you. They will help you understand what to expect from your policy and how to get the most out of what is being offered. You can also use the free FL health insurance quote tool provided above to get the most helpful information you need. Just enter your zip code above and start getting the quotes today!