Should my baby have insurance coverage?

Question

I am 34 weeks pregnant. I am on my dad insurance and they are paying 100% for the delivery. They said they will not paying anything for the baby once he is born though. I have been told by some people that legally they might have to, at least until I leave the hospital. I'm not really sure.

Answer 1

Once you (two) are discharged, his insurance will not cover your child.

Answer 2

Your baby must be insured. To do anything less would be wrong.

Answer 3

"some people" are wrong.  If YOU were the policyholder, you would be able to add the baby.  You aren't.  Grandpa is.  He can't add grandchildren.

Answer 4

The people who told you that were obviously confused.

If *you* had an insurance policy that covered your delivery expenses, then that policy may be obligated under some circumstances to cover the newborn expenses for the first month also.

However, that rule is irrelevant in your case...this is your dad's policy, not yours.  The baby would not be an eligible dependent on your dad's policy, and therefore the insurer doesn't have to pay a single dime towards your baby's expenses.

The best thing you can do at this point is inquire about Medicaid or your state's CHIP policy, and see if your baby will qualify for coverage.  

(You can't purchase your own insurance for your baby at this point - any private insurer is going to make you wait until your baby is at least a few months old and pass a medical examination.  If your baby is born with any complications, you won't even be able to purchase your own policy at all.)

And you definitely will want health insurance coverage for your baby...there will be room and board expenses for the baby at the hospital, in addition to your own.  Not to mention any testing or other procedures (circumcision, etc.) that might end up getting done.  

I had 2 healthy children, and their hospital costs ended up being nearly as much as my own.  If your baby is born with any medical issues, the bill racks up pretty quickly.  It is absolutely worth your time to inquire about your baby's eligibility for Medicaid or the CHIP plan.

P.S.  One last option that I didn't mention, since you didn't bring up the father of your child...if the child's father has his own policy (not one through his parents, but his own actual policy), he should inquire about whether he could add the baby onto his policy.  That's the only other real option for the newborn charges at this point other than Medicaid/CHIP.

Answer 5

You need to apply for medical assistance now..... It just might kick in by the time they baby's born...

Answer 6

YOur baby will be covered through the delivery but once they are there own person there may not be coverage.  You should look into getting some type of coverage for you and your baby so that there will be coverage after birth.  I experienced this with my first child.  We got pregnant right after I accepted a new job.  We choose to go self insured instead of cobra.  My new company paid for the baby after the birth but the rest was not covered as it was considered a pre existing condition.  Good Luck and congrats

Answer 7

In most major medical policies, if you have a maternity benefit, it will pay for the pre-delivery checkups, the delivery, and well-baby care for the days your baby is hospitalized. If there is a complication, it should also pay for that.

You may possibly get a health card from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Anyway, you should insure your child, not only with health insurance, but also with life insurance. if you don't have any, you should definitely buy life insurance for yourself to provide for your child should something happen to you.

You could buy a life insurance policy for yourself and have a children's rider put on it for just a few cents per day. Not expensive at all. It will automatically cover any additional children at no additional costs.

Answer 8

Some insurance coverage will pay for the delivery expense - check your coverage. You need to go to your local public assistance office because you may qualify for Medicaid which would also cover the baby - yes, your baby does need his/her own health coverage. Try public assistance.