fluffy82

Hi,
I was hoping to get some advice. Ive been doing a lot of reasearch but dont seem to be finding any productive outcomes!
At the moment me and my husband are looking into getting preganant but seem to be coming up against brick walls with regards to insurance.
I have been looking into getting some individual health insurance with maternity coverage included but I have been advised by a number of healthcare providers that the state I live in does not offer any maternity coverage for individual policies - only group policies. Unfortunately my employer does not offer insurance so that is not an option for me. My husband is insured with his employer but for some reason they are not keen on having me go on as a dependant. Obviously I will push this matter if I have to but I was just wondering if anyone knows if there are any other ways round it? I dont want to get preganant without insurance and pay the crazy amounts I have heard about.

I started looking into going back to the UK for 6 months or so when I get pregant and have the baby there but again I have found this is probably not possible because I would not be entitled to NHS treatment because I am no longer living in the UK. Does anyone know if it would make a difference if I went back and worked for a few months before I had a baby? I do still have a UK address where I am registered with doctors/dentist. My other concern is that if I did this, would it affect my US immigration status? (I am intending to take the US citizenship test as soon as I am eligble).

If anyone has been through this or has any advice etc it would be greatly appreciated!

hobbes79

What do you mean "not keen"? Seems very odd. They should either have a policy that says you can be covered or you cannot be covered.

Where I work, we have rates for singles, married, married with one kid, married with 2 kids, etc, etc. All fairly well laid out.

Most in the US get coverage through employers. It's a crucial part of any salary package.

lyonsden1193

Yep ... the reason they are not keen is that you may have tipped your hand by saying you are trying for a baby... if you then go on their policy you are a racing certainty to run up some claims very quickly ... ergo ..bigger premium for his employer..and thats assuming you have no complications ... sky's the limit if you do.

hobbes79

That shouldn't though be of any business of the employer. And even if mentioned shouldn't be grounds for discrimination.

Real life can get in the way though

I joined my current company with a pregnant wife, 8-months along...

SanDiegogirl

According to your previous posts you have been in the US since approx April 2010.

Why have you not joined your husband's group policy before now? .... and what have you been doing for your own health cover up to now?

Most individual plans don't cover pregnancy - its not an illness but a life choice.

AmerLisa

If I was in full time employment (I'm part time) my husband's employer's insurance would insist that I take my own insurance. Perhaps this is why they are not "keen" to you being on his insurance? If you show them you don't have insurance at your employer, then maybe he has to add you as a dependent? I don't believe its the point of you and your husband wanting a baby for them not to insure you.

Bob

Probably means the OP would have to wait till the net enrollment window, in the new year or anniversary of hire date, unless they recently got married or are new hires.

Also the employer doesn't have to extend insurance cover to dependents.

To the OP.,...get a job, find cover or don't do it. The UK won't do you much good as there are loads of tests, scans and other bits and bobs that happen along the way before the big bill of knocking the thing out. Getting a scan done privately can easily be $1500 a piece...plus cost of someone to look over it etc.

Rete

Wow, I've never heard that before. I can get healthcare at my place of employment but all along choose to be listed under my husband's and they didn't have a problem with that. In fact, he is now retired and I was allowed to continue using that same healthcare with me paying the premiums which are nearly 3 times less than what my share of the premium cost would be in with my employer, i.e. I pay $1300 a year for current policy and employment policy would cost me $400+ a month.

Bob

It is becoming more common that places will only offer dependent cover if they don't have it offered through their own jobs as a way of saving money though...

Giantaxe

and it especially sucks when the coverage available from the dependent's job is far worse.

hobbes79

They do that to some extent where I work. You need to pay extra if your dependent can get it elsewhere. Each year I have to sign a form to say the missus can't.

Also, if you don't take the healthcare option (so you can get it from elsewhere) you get an extra $100 a month on your pay check. So to all intents and purposes, health insurance costs me the premiums + $100 a month.

fluffy82

Thank you for all the helpful responses.
Today I have sent my husband off to work to talk to his bosses about putting me on as a dependant as this seems the only route. They are a fairly new company and very small but they are also very family orientated so I hope once they know that we wouldnt be able to have children unless I was on his insurance it will work out. Fingers crossed.

Bob

If they're small, it might mean even less likely as it'll have a bigger impact on their premium costs v a massive company...

SanDiegogirl

Why would you need to even mention anything about your thinking of getting pregnant? Surely this is personal to you and your husband.

Your husband finds out whether they offer dependents coverage or not - if not, he could ask what is the reason they don't - (although this is something you both should have been aware of when he joined the company)

It might be purely financial (as a small company they might not be able to afford the premiums for dependents). I doubt whether they are deliberately excluding wives of employees because of pregnancy - and I doubt whether YOU are being specifically picked out for them not "being keen" on taking you on. This attitude would possibly open them up for liability I would have thought.

I presume you have already checked to see whether your husband's Group policy covers pregnancy? The majority of Group policies do, but this is a new and small company so they might have negotiated something different.