Florida Maternity Insurance

Florida maternity insurance is difficult to obtain. Most companies have discontinued insurance riders for pregnancy or have limited their coverage to minimal amounts.

PLEASE READ THIS: If you are currently pregnant you cannot get any coverage at all. There are no exceptions. Negotiate with the hospital for a flat fee for delivery.

Throughout this guide we use the term Florida maternity insurance. We do that because that is how most consumers search for this type of coverage. However, our sales affiliates sell medical expense plans that may be used for maternity expenses. They are not to be confused with maternity insurance.

This guide will help you decide if a full Florida maternity insurance plan is right for you. Or, you might decide that getting help with delivery costs will be more cost effective

The Facts

1. Both normal and c-section deliveries are almost always available for a flat fee from most hospitals. The typical rates for vaginal deliveries have been between $2200 and $3500 (without complications). This does not include pre-natal care. You can negotiate fees with a hospital. You do not necessarily need to buy an expensive discount card to do this.

Simply call the hospital and ask them if they have a maternity flat fee. That is all there is to it.

If you choose to obtain a PPO card to get a better rate, do some shopping. One card can cost you $70 a month while another might only be $30 a month. They both offer the discounted rate of a national PPO.

If you live in Dade or Broward counties, there is a local plan that has a very low negotiated rate with some local hospitals for both normal delivery and c-section. We will have more information posted here in the future. In the meantime you can contact us for details.

2. Most major medical plans will cover complications to pregnancy as long as you have not previously had a c-section. So, even if you do not have maternity coverage, an emergency c-section will still be covered.

3. Florida maternity insurance plans have waiting periods. Be sure to be aware of how long you must wait before they are effective.

Florida Maternity Insurance Plans

Full Coverage - You can purchase a health insurance plan that offers an optional pregnancy rider. This rider will cover all pre-natal and hospital delivery charges. It adds approximately $150 to $250 a month to the cost of the health insurance plan and you must wait 9 to12 months before you become pregnant to realize the full benefits.

These riders still have deductibles and coinsurance. They are not 100% plans

Analysis - While this rider offers fairly complete coverage, it might not always be the most cost-effective method to pay for a pregnancy. Using flat rate pricing from the hospital with an indemnity plan or medical supplement is very often a less expensive alternative

There might be better alternatives

Indemnity Coverage - You can obtain a Florida maternity insurance coverage that is inexpensive, has a short waiting period, can be added to your existing coverage and has very simple underwriting. Again, we use the term Florida maternity insurance generically. The indemnity plans are medical expense plans that may be used to help cover the costs associated with pregnancy.

There are a few rules:

1. These plans pay fixed amounts regardless of your expenses. For example, one plan will pay you $3,375 for a 48 hour stay in the hospital. This should be enough for a normal delivery.

2. They do not cover pre-natal expenses, just the hospital.

3. If you anticipate an expensive delivery due to a prior c-section you can stack these plans and add surgical benefits to cover the expense.

4. You can add them to any Florida health insurance plan or have no health insurance at all. It does not matter. As long as the waiting period is satisfied, you can add them at any time.

5. Most of these plan require you to be working a minimum number of hours per week when you get the plan.

6. The plans are underwritten by "A" rated carriers.

7. You can pay from personal or business accounts. A business can set this up for its employees on a voluntary basis and not have to contribute anything at all.

A Florida Maternity Insurance Plan Comparison

Analysis - If you end up paying for the pregnancy riders for too many months, the cost of the Florida maternity insurance will exceed the benefit. The pregnancy rider ties you to a specific carrier and if you change, the money you paid for this expensive rider is out the window. In addition, if you have had a prior c-section, you will not be eligible for a pregnancy rider and the indemnity plan will be your only choice. An indemnity plan is portable and can be used with any carrier. Plus, the same indemnity reimbursement can be used for any sickness or illness.

Warning: Complications to the delivery could change the above illustration and make the rider more attractive. Although, most health insurance plans cover complications to pregnancy even without a maternity rider.

Using the power of a PPO network to lower costs

A full discussion of PPO plans has been reserved for another part of this guide. However, I want to mention that we have found that the use of some standalone PPO network access cards can provide exceptional discounts for prenatal as well as normal and c-section deliveries. It would certainly pay to investigate these products to determine if they can save you money. Just keep in mind the cost of the card. We will have a full PPO network card for about $30 a month in the near future.