Baby and Insurance - Month 7

week 29

Your baby is growing rapidly now. This week he weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is getting bigger to accommodate his growing brain – which is busy developing billions of neurons. Every day, about 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in your baby's skeleton, which is now hardening. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester. (www.babycenter.com)

What Happens to My Insurance After Baby is Born?

I kept asking myself this. So I decided to do something about it over lunch and called my medical provider. Not that this is an exciting post by any means, but it might be interesting to look back on in 30 some years and see how things have changed in this industry.

Wouldn't it be nice if money grew on trees?

First Steps

From the moment baby is born, my employer will have 31 days to contact our insurance provider and let them know the greatest baby ever was born. :) 

Baby will then be added to my plan, but have his/her own separate plan and his/her own $2500 deductible to meet from that moment to my company's plan year...Aug. 31, 2012.

My current plan

I currently have a $2500 deductible. Yes, I'm on the Health Savings Account (HSA). I did this so I could save enough from each paycheck to cover the $2500 by the time baby is born. Once I've met my $2500 (which I most definitely will after having a baby), I will have met my deductible. Any appointment I go to or service/treatment I receive after, will be 100% covered… until August 31, 2012. That is when our plan ends.

Ummm...yes, I will be getting a mouth/jaw split (which is normally about $800+ out of pocket) because it will finally be covered and I can stop grinding my teeth! I also want to look into contraceptives without hormones. I can no longer be on any birth control pill or anything with hormones since my mom and maternal grandma have Factor Five Gene Mutation. I tested negative, but still...they don't want to risk stroke. Maybe an IUD? Unless we decide we want Irish twins. *gulp*

If I were to add Karl to my plan next year, then we’d have a $5000 deductible grouped together. Seems like a crazy amount of money to me. Again, so pays to be healthy. Thank you mom for always making us eat so healthy and pushing us to play outside all the time!!!!!

My coverage

My insurance will cover me for 48 hours in the hospital AFTER baby has been born. They will extend coverage if they have to. Very nice! If I have a C-Section, I will be covered for 96 hours after baby is born. They will also extend coverage if they have to.  

Breast pumps (which run about $250-$300) can only be covered if:

1. I’m separated from child.

2. My child is born with a condition where he or she can’t suck or has downs syndrome

or

3. I am diagnosed with an infection or a lactation disorder.

Baby's coverage

Baby “well care” is everything the doctor prescribes for baby to keep baby well, and is 100% covered. This is much like the prenatal care I received. All 100% covered. Such as, “I need to see your baby in 3 days for a checkup, or come back in a month so I can see baby…or I need to give baby shots on this day…”

Circumcision, hearing tests are all covered 100%.

Not covered

Emergency room visits or unexpected visits. And if baby gets a fever and cold, it's recommended to bring him/her into urgent care pronto since they have a hard time breathing through their noses at such a young age. Another reason I hope breast feeding works and really does prevent baby from getting sick as much as they say...  

Car seats are not covered. I had to ask because most everyone in my car seat safety class was getting one through their insurance, but I think that’s cuz they are struggling financially??

I will say it was nice to get this out in the open and know what's covered and not.

Up next: 3D Ultrasound tonight!!!!!! I can't wait! Also, ice fishing and weekend at Grandpa and Grandma's.