Why is maternity not covered

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Let's reshape it today. Corning Gorilla Glass TougherTogether. ET India Inc. ET Engage. ET Secure IT. Tax How to file ITR. Tax Saving. ITR Forms. Income Tax Refund. Tax Exemption Limit. In New York , a law took effect in making pregnancy a qualifying event that triggers a special enrollment period special enrollment periods allow people to obtain coverage outside the normal enrollment period.

So women in New York who become pregnant outside of open enrollment have the opportunity to enroll in coverage for the first time or to switch plans, with an effective date of the first of the month in which the pregnancy is confirmed by a health care provider. A similar law took effect in Connecticut in and in DC as of Advocates have been pushing to make pregnancy a qualifying event in every state.

HHS has considered it, but clarified in early that they had decided against making pregnancy a qualifying event. Louise Norris is an individual health insurance broker who has been writing about health insurance and health reform since She has written dozens of opinions and educational pieces about the Affordable Care Act for healthinsurance. Her state health exchange updates are regularly cited by media who cover health reform and by other health insurance experts.

We do not sell insurance products, but this form will connect you with partners of healthinsurance. You may submit your information through this form, or call to speak directly with licensed enrollers who will provide advice specific to your situation.

Read about your data and privacy. The mission of healthinsurance. Learn more about us. Obamacare changes everything The ACA has been a game-changer for individual health insurance, and maternity coverage is one of the areas where the changes are most pronounced.

Find affordable health plans. Hence, insurance companies have introduced maternity insurance—a separate cover—so that they can bear the expenses for end-to-end treatment and ensure that the entire pregnancy process is relaxed for consumers," said Chatterjee.

Moreover, one must also be aware that most insurance companies do not provide maternity based insurance if one avails of the policy after getting pregnant. Hence, one cannot get maternity coverage while being pregnant," said Rakesh Goyal, director, Probus Insurance. However, they can get regular health insurance when pregnant but will not get maternity coverage. Most insurance companies consider pregnancy as a pre-existing condition, and thus, one will need to undergo a waiting period to avail of coverage under the maternity policy.

Policy exclusion: The maternity insurance policies might not cover treatment costs traceable to fertility, birth control procedure, sterilization, etc. Moreover, specific health policies also come up with exclusions of unexpected termination of pregnancy, monthly check-ups, etc. Additionally, there is a limit on the sum insured while availing maternity benefits under a health policy. In such a case, if the treatment cost during the maternity period goes beyond the sum insured limit while making claims, the insured has to pay for the remaining balance.

What you should do: Different insurance companies provide different types of health policies with maternity coverage as an add-on. The premium payable for maternity coverage in a health insurance policy is usually higher than a regular health policy. This is mainly because claim settlement in the case of maternal health insurance is inevitable, unlike other illnesses or accidents. Hence, one should do a detailed cost comparison around the insurance benefits offered to make optimum use of the insurance coverage.

Besides, one should also check the sub-limits of the policy while assessing the options available. Some of the benefits of maternity insurance that one should look for in a policy include pre-and post-hospitalization. Hospitalization expenses should get covered for 30 days before delivery and up to 60 days post-delivery.