Pregnant without health insurance
 

I moved to the US a month ago and I have to admit I’ve been a bit lax getting settled in. 90% of my belongings are still in the UK let alone getting any health insurance. Well I’ve just found out I’m pregnant - and now I’m definitely in a pickle!

any tips on how to get some last minute insurance?

- The new requirement that immigrants need to have health insurance is definitely supported by me!! Wouldn’t wish this on anyone! -

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

Hi Millkeabe, welcome to BE. :)

There are many possible answers to your question, but to help us direct our advice rather than provide a mountain of advice, please can you give us a little more info about your background? On what basis are you in the US, family or work visa, or something else? Are you in fact working? Do you have access to any preferred path to insurance, such as through work (yours or someone else's)? Or are you totally on your own? Also, which state are you living in, as that may affect your options?

The good news is that coverage for pregnancy is mandatory - in other words, you cannot be denied coverage for pregnancy even if you are already pregnant when you sign up for insurance coverage.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

Well thank you, that's certainly reassuring.

I'm living in Texas on a CR1 visa. I'm currently not working but will be looking asap so healthcare through work could be my best bet. I'm a graphic designer and I haven't as yet seen healthcare offered on a any job ads. Is that normal not to advertise it?
My spouse is self employed and uses the free veteran healthcare I believe.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

Through work, yours or your spouses is probably the most common.

Speak to your spouse first about adding you.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

have you checked to see if your husband's insurance covers you?
It is not normal to advertise it - your job will come with health insurance.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

If you don't get healthcare visa work or your husband, then hope you have a few thousand for pre-natal care and the delivery.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

VA may cover you as well, depending on what your husband is getting from the VA:

https://www.va.gov/health-care/famil...explore.va.gov

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

helpful
at a push, you could investigate your local community college. Here in Austin, you could get reasonably priced student insurance if you signed up for a few credit hours of courses which you didn't even need to attend or finish - I think they've changed the last bit but worth looking into as a last resort.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

VAs usually have coverage that will include a spouse. Check with your husband.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

No, if she doesn't, she'll get insurance through an exchange .... or are you talking about the deductible (excess)? .... but that will apply even if her husband has insurance through his work or otherwise.

@milkeabe I am a bit confused though. If your husband is already working and has health insurance, why haven't you been added to his policy?
:goodpost: Exactly! This is probably all the advice she needs.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

It's practical advise. Being/getting pregnant when first arriving in the US and apparently being clueless about the insurance options, the OP needs to know that,unlike the UK, her pregnancy is going to cost lots of money; which she nor her husband might have. Suggesting she takes up some sort of student role/insurance is less than practical - IMHO

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

Agreed. Check with VA. If there are complications this could easily run into tens thousands overnight. Hopefully your husband sees the urgency in this.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

I'm fully aware of this and looking for my options. But thank you for stating the obvious

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

With the greatest of respect, if things are so obvious to you why are you asking a general forum for 'tips on last minute insurance'

Getting medical insurance appears to have been something you did not take into account when moving to the US.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

I recognize the irony of another curt and slightly rude post. Buy you've already made several points the OP is aware off but I believe she was actually asking for some advice.....

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

OK .....

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

You don't get that luxury on a public forum. And although I agree with you on the nature of those posts, remember that threads are read by others than the OP, i.e. than you. Presumably because of the availability of the NHS, we see many posts on here from people who have given little or no thought to healthcare before moving. So if this thread helps folks about to move to think more about healthcare access in advance of moving, then that's all good.

Anyway, good luck with your situation. I do think VA is your priority to follow up on, depending on what your husband's access to it is.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

There are many, 10 I believe levels of VA care. To get the top care you have to have retired after a full service or have some sort of service connected disability.
VA care covers veterans, not their immediate family. There is Tri care, but that's typically for families of serving personnel.
I'm guessing that the VA will not be an avenue that will be of any help.
But on the bright side, there are millions of Americans with absolutely no health insurance and they still seem to manage to pop out babies.

As for the cost, here in N Fl. An Egyptian friend recently had a child, he was not a resident, just here on a 3 month vacation. His out of pocket costs were about $13K.
He did not have access to medicare or any other socialized medical support. He wanted to pay out of pocket with decent hospital care.
The birth was uncomplicated and straightforwards.
On a plus, his daughter now has an American passport.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

The only way she could get coverage thru military would be like you stated would be if husband was retired and she would be eligible for his Tricare. If he is just a veteran with less than retired status the VA will cover only him and not dependants.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

Ok, then Medicaid, assuming the OP's husband's income is low enough for her to qualify:

https://yourtexasbenefits.hhsc.texas...women/pregnant

If not, then an ACA policy

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

go to healthcare.gov and see if you qualify for a special enrollment period. Since you've been here for less than 60 days you should qualify.- so tick that button.
I went through the questionnaire using my own texas zipcode so the same results should be relevant to you

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

If push comes to shove (sorry about the birth pun!) and you can't get insurance, you may want to consider moving back to the UK until after the birth. It's probably the last thing you want to do, but as a last resort it would be better than starting a family with a huge debt hanging over your heads. Good luck with your pregnancy and the birth of your little one.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

Emergency Medicaid is the fall back, assuming they qualify.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

Many hospitals will offer discounts / aid if income is a % of poverty level. They won't advertise this, but you can ask.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

https://apple.news/A5ovMV6ShRC-Uhj9mxxuBqA

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

The OP doesn’t say that it is financial difficulty that has precluded her getting insurance, but lack of organization. Therefore her options are to be added to whatever coverage her OH has or to apply to the state ACA entity and she should investigate both immediately. Good luck and congratulations on the pending happy event!

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

I think Medicaid rules have changed for visa holders haven't they? I don't think they qualify anymore.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

NY and CA give it from day 1, full Medicaid, anybody can get Emergency Medicaid. Used by tourists for example.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

So she actually paid #3000 dollars despite the article listing a several conflating costs. And had a very complicated birth...

​​​​ Basically just get insurance with a sensible deductible.....

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Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

The problem with that is that she will still have to pay, she is not a UK resident, so can't access free healthcare, and in the current political climate they are checking on everyone.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

I know what you mean Mike, but if the OP returned with the intention of living in the UK, even for 6 months, then she would be eligible to use the NHS immediately. She's only been gone a month.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

This makes me want to beat my head into a wall. As a healthcare finance worker, I can tell you that people in this situation cost thousands in reimbursed care every year. I don't agree with Trump and Republicans on much, but on this subject I do. What ever happened to personal responsibility? Why is it the job of TX tax payers to bail the OP out of this situation? You haven't even paid one dime into the system!

OP - Go get yourself some insurance. You should not have waited this long, pregnant or not. Assuming the VA won't cover you (and I find it very unlikely they will) you'll need to get insurance through the health exchanges. This pregnancy is going to cost you a lot of money - you should be aware of that from the get go. This is not a situation that you can wait to address, it must be addressed now.

That last part does not jive well with insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

I've heard of people getting part time jobs at Starbucks to get their health insurance

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

That probably explains why a Starbucks coffee costs $4 and a cookie costs $2.50. :rolleyes:

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

She may not have but she didn't get pregnant alone, her husband will have paid in throughout his life and I'm assuming they will both be paying in for many more. Plus in Texas they're making it harder to get an abortion so they'll no doubt have to get used to paying for pregnancies.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

Medicaid, and in this case Emergency Medicaid is I think a Federal programme so not a TX issue.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

I'm not sure what people are referring too as 'Emergency Medicaid' - but usually that literally covers ER visits only.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

Have never heard that expression before.

Re: Pregnant without health insurance
 

Do you have any evidence that is actually happening?

There has been a lot of noise in recent years about what should happen and "what the rules say", but I don't think I have seen much evidence of access to healthcare in the UK being policed effectively, and anecdotally on BE, generally people seem to report that there is little or no actual checking being performed at the point of access.