Pregnant, getting insurance soon

I have not had health insurance for a while, and am glad that I’ll be getting it once I have been at my new job for 90 days.  In the meantime, I have discovered that I am pregnant.  Will my group plan cover my pregnancy or will it be a pre-existing condition?

Expecting Great Things

Dear Expecting Great Things,

Your new group plan will cover your pregnancy, even though you were pregnant before your first day on it.  Pregnancy is not considered a pre-existing condition, and your plan cannot refuse to cover it.  In the time before your plan starts, you should start your pre-natal care.  Call your doctor’s office and explain that you will be getting insurance soon; they may be willing to do your initial visits for free.  They are paid a “global fee” for pre-natal care, no matter how many visits you have or when the visits happen.  So they may be able to be flexible about payments.

Linda Riddell

About Linda Riddell

A published author and health policy analyst with 25 years’ experience, Linda Riddell's goal is to alleviate the widespread ailment of not knowing what your health plan can do for you.