Free Maternity Health Plans

Posted in Compare Health Insurance , Health Insurance , Maternity Health Insurance , Save on Health Insurance

February 11th, 2009

You have always wanted a baby, and you have decided that 2009 is the year to grow your family, but money is tight. Since prenatal care is so important, you should start searching for free maternity health plans before you conceive.

Both paid and free maternity health plans are challenging to find. Many health insurance companies, including Medicaid, consider pregnancy a pre-existing condition and may limit the amount of coverage they will provide.

Free maternity health plans vary from state to state, as currently health insurance is not a national prerogative. There are some government-funded programs for those who qualify. As previously mentioned, there is Medicaid, which provides medical assistance for low-income families and individuals.

Not to be confused with free maternity health insurance, another option is WIC, or Woman, Children and Infants. States are provided federal grants to run a program to help low-income, pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women. WIC grants money for health care referrals, supplemental foods and nutrition education. The program applies to infants and children up to the age of five who are found to be at nutritional risk.

Free maternity health plans may not be in abundance, so aside from private health care or Medicaid, there are options available for discounted maternity care. Programs such as AmeriCare and Maternity Advantage are paid programs. Once you sign on for one of these plans, you can receive significant discounts on maternity care.