Who is MaternityNevada.com?
We are an informational service to inform
you on the very best maternity benefits available to you in your
area. We are not an insurance company, nor do we offer insurance
ourselves. We simply get you in contact with the best agents in
your area based on your needs.
Below is information we have gathered from the many agents we
have worked with over the years. The following is for
informational purposes only and is not an official offer for
insurance.
There is no such thing as Maternity Insurance.
So why are you here again? Don't panic. Supplemental
Health Plans can cover many different types
of medical hospital stays. Although they cover all kinds of
hospitalizations, they just so happen to also cover maternity -
but many plans have a 10 month waiting period meaning you must
deliver sometime after being on the plan for 10 full months. The companies that
offer supplemental plans change now and then. Some stop
offering the plans to new clients after a certain date. The
agents we work with offer the most current options available. See the insurance policy
contract for limitations, exclusions and details.
What is "Supplemental
Maternity" Insurance, anyway?
This
is not the real name for this insurance.
There is no such thing as Maternity
Insurance. It is a
supplemental "hospital indemnity" insurance plan policy.
Most individual major medical plans have no maternity, or only
cover maternity after you pay the first $5,000 -$10,000. The plans then
sometimes cover 100%.
The supplemental plans are used to cover that maternity
deductible. The money left over is yours to use as you see
fit. The supplemental plans have to be in force for at
least 10 months before you deliver, and you must be admitted
into a hospital for at least 24 hours to get the benefit. Although
they are often used for maternity, remember that it will cover
other eligible hospitalizations after being in force for 30
days. For this reason many couples purchase the benefit
for both spouses. This is especially attractive if the
male is self employed and has no other disability or hospitalization
benefits.
Supplemental insurance
pays you a flat amount for being admitted into hospital. Some
also pay a flat daily amount for each day you are hospitalized.
Regardless of the actual cost of your medical bills, supplemental
plans only pay that flat amount (ie $2,000 for being admitted
and $550/day). So your health plan might pay everything over
$5,000 at 100%. The supplemental plans pay money directly to
you. You can use that money to cover the
$5,000 and yes, that means you can have 100% of your maternity
covered or even more than 100%. Any money left over is
yours to keep.
What are the medical Questions I need to answer to get
these supplemental plans? You will get this
information when the agent contacts you, but in general you need to answer the
"dread disease" type questions: Aids, Heart problems,
Cancer type questions. It is much easier to get a supplemental
plan then to qualify for major medical health plans. The plans
usually do not cover any pre-existing conditions.
What company
in their right mind would take my $262/month and then pay
me $6,300 after 10 months?
No they aren't excited
to lose money. In fact, many of the companies have
stopped offering their plans in Utah. Go figure. And the
premium you pay is not just for one company. But remember that there are
thousands of people paying for hospital supplemental plans that
will never use them for maternity. That is the same concept
that applies here. They don't want to cover your maternity.
They don't want to cover any hospital stay for any reason. But
they cannot discriminate against you for using it for a maternity
hospitalization. One main limitation is that they exclude
maternity in the first 10 months of the policy. They then have to treat
maternity as any other hospital stay.
Remember, supplemental health policies should be purchased to be
included into your LONG TERM insurance portfolio.
What if my employer has a great maternity coverage plan
that covers most everything. Can I still take advantage of these
plans? Yes. Many people have
virtually complete coverage through their employer's health
insurance plan and still take advantage of supplemental plans. They
often purchase the maximum benefit possible and
pocket the difference. They use the money for various
things. Some use the money to take longer maternity leaves from
work. Others save it for future expenses. Even others have
used it to got to Maui, etc. Really, it is your choice.
No questions asked.
Why can't
I just purchase the supplemental plan and drop my major medical
insurance?
Major medical insurance will cover medical expenses after a
deductible is paid and a co-insurance is shared (ie the 80/20
split with the insurance company.) After meeting the deductible
and co-insurance, an out of pocket maximum is met (usually $2,000
- $3,000 maximum). Some health insurance plans have a $5,000
maternity deductible but then cover 100% after that deductible
is met. Many do not cover maternity at all. In any case, after the out-of-pocket maximum is
reached, the insurance company might cover 100% of the cost up
to a maximum benefit (usually $1Million, etc). If you had a $500,000 hospital bill, Major
medical would cover you very well. If you only had supplemental
insurance you would be left paying about 98% of the bill all
by yourself! Supplemental insurance should only be used
when you have a major medical plan in force. Supplemental
plans are used to pay for your deductibles and Co-Insurance
that your major medical plans do not cover. Unlike Major
medical plans, money you receive from supplemental plan can be
used for any expenses you choose (like rent, mortgage, car
payments, diapers, Maui... whatever!)
Aren't there
any health plans that include maternity?
Yes, there are a few. By the way, we can refer you to the very
best health insurance agents that know the health plans with the
best maternity options in your area. Some companies offer a separate maternity rider. It allows you to pay a
separate $500 deductible and then cover 100% up to a cap of
$2,500, $5,000 or even $10,000! The Problem? They can be a little "pricey" and most people find a better option
through our supplemental plans. Although it sounds
like a good option, there may be other options using different
health plans.
Let us refer you to an agent in your area that specializes in
Health Insurance with Great Maternity options.
What if I
have no health insurance, or a plan that excludes maternity. Can
I still get these plans?
There are
a few things to consider. For example the new Health Savings
Account Plans (HSA) are becoming very popular. However most
individual/family plans do
not cover maternity. This means you have to pay for all maternity
expenses yourself and pay for them out of your HSA account. But
this causes some problems when it comes to In-Network
discounting. When you go to a hospital with a
health insurance plan you get "in network" discounts. When you
go for a non-covered event (such as maternity), or you have no insurance and are
paying with cash you don't get the discount. This can be a very
big deal. For example, a typical hospital bill for a two
day maternity stay is apx $8,000 - 11,000 plus. Because
most people have insurance the hospitals agree to apply the in
network discount. This drops the bill to around $5,000 to $6,000 or less.
You could owe a whole lot if you have a plan that doesn't cover
maternity or if you are paying cash and don't get the in network
discount. Some have successfully negotiated a "cash discount"
with some providers. This is supposed to be illegal for the
medical profession to charge you one price if you have insurance
and another price if you are paying cash (ie should be $11,000
either way before the in network discount). Just know these facts before you try to pay for a delivery
yourself or pick a health insurance plan that doesn't cover
maternity. That is why we recommend Health Plans. they have a $5,000 maternity deductible and
then cover 100% of the balance. Some have a $7,500
Maternity deductible or higher. If you need a better health
insurance plan? We can help. Let us have an agent contact
you that knows the maternity issues inside and out.
Click
Here
or call (801) 999-8504.
Who is eligible
for supplemental insurance?
Most plans allow anyone to purchase them regardless of
employment situation. (Example is a "stay at home mom" can pay
$262/month and would get $6,300 for a two day stay in the
hospital). You can get some plans through your employment. We
can get you with a representative that knows how to find the
very best options available without the "fluff."
Why do some of the plans require me to cover dependents
also? The companies have set up guidelines for
their products in each state. In Utah they have established this
requirement in order for you to apply for the plans. The good news is that
family members also get a benefit if they happen to be
hospitalized. The 10 month waiting period is only for maternity.
Any other qualified hospital stay would entitle you to receive
the benefit after being on the plan for 30 days.
OK, there must
be a catch to the supplemental plans. How could I mess up?
You
caught us. There are ways to mess up. Many people have
told us about the following are
6 things you could do to NOT get the benefit even though
you pay each month:
1)
Deliver anytime during the first 10 months of the plan.
You deliver early, you don't get a penny.
2)
Deliver outside of a Hospital. If you deliver at
a birthing center or at home no benefit is paid.
3)
Deliver at a hospital, but check yourself out before 24 hours.
24 hours to trigger the benefit.
4)
Stop paying your premium before your hospitalization. Policy
must be in force when you deliver.
5)
Deliver outside the United
States. You must
deliver in the US to get the benefits.
6)
Enroll in a Government welfare program like Medicaid. All
benefits are then paid to Medicaid, not you. These
are all ways to not get paid when you have a baby. Make
sure you don't fall in these traps and you will receive a benefit.
Do I have to
use certain doctors or hospitals?
No. You can go to any doctor any hospital. Just use the
facilities that your health insurance plan uses (must be in the USA).
How do I get
my money from the plans?
There
are two ways.
1) Give all of your supplemental insurance plan
details to the hospital when you deliver and sign the papers for
them to claim on your behalf and let them send you any left over
money (do you see any problem with that? I do!). Of
course, we don't recommend this first option. The next option is
better:
2)
Only give the hospital your medical health insurance information
when admitted. Then use the supplemental plan claim form and a copy of the hospital bills and send
them into the companies yourself (or you can fax them). That way you get the money
paid in a check mad out to YOU. Doesn't that make a little more
sense? It is a little more hassle, but it ends up with you holding
the money. People tell us they get paid 7-10 business days after
submitting a claim. The check arrives in the mail. How cool is
that!
What if my
hospital bill is less than the supplemental benefit?
This
is a trick question. The supplemental plans don't care
if you have insurance or not. They don't care if you go
to the most expensive hospital or not (as long as it is in the
USA!). It doesn't matter
how much the hospital bill is, the supplemental plan pays you
a flat amount for being hospitalized for at least 24 hours, and
for each day after that. If you had a $30,000 bill, you
don't get more money from the supplemental plans. If your
bill is less than your supplemental benefit you keep what is left
over.
I am pregnant already. What are my options?
Although options are somewhat limited if you are already
pregnant, there are some state plans in your area that may be of
assistance. However, none of the supplemental plans we know of
will help you if you are already pregnant as they have a 10
month waiting period before you deliver.
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| What
if I move out of my State? Can I still use the plans?
Yes. However, be VERY careful when you leave the state and
make sure that you don't let the bank accounts lapse your policies
by you closing the bank accounts and forgetting to transfer the
payments to your new bank. (that was a mouthful!).
Also you need to plan ahead with your health insurance. Many
plans will drop you if you leave the state. The stat you move to
may not cover you if you are already pregnant when you apply for
coverage. They look at it as a pre-existing condition.
Some plans are portable from state to state. However most of
them don't cover maternity which result in you not getting the
in network discount. Call (801) 999-8504 so we can make
sure your health insurance plan fits your needs if moving out of
the state is a possibility while pregnant. We can help.
Click
Here. |
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