Maternity Insurance - Fort Bragg,CA

Well I have Kaiser and used them thru both of my pregnancies and with the right dr. LOVED THEM. My first dr. was awesome with my first son, but when I had him for my second, I wasn't happy with him. When I switched (which you can do whenever you want with Kaiser), I fell in LOVE with my new dr. and wish he was still my OB (we moved far enough where it was ridiculous to drive to see him, however I contemplated it for a LONG time).
I believe their rates are fairly cheap and are instant when you apply.

Good luck
K.

where is Fort Bragg??? If it's anywhere near the Vallejo clinic, I'd HIGHLY HIGHLY Recomend the OB I used there.......he was FANTASTIC. He even came in on his day off to do participate in my planned c-section because I was scared.

Only thing I can suggest is seeing if you qualify for Medicaid. WIC too. I had both when I was pregnant.

Um, too late now, but I'd say you should have kept Blue Shield until after you found a new policy. Now you're uninsured for all medical issues, not just maternity stuff.

Or am I misunderstanding something?

Any insurance you get will have a waiting period before they cover maternity. Most insurance companies don't cover pre-natal or maternity care unless you have an HMO policy, which you pay through the roof for. I wish you lots of luck, but I'm afraid you are going to have a lot of trouble finding ANY insurance now, because you're pregancy is considered a pre-existing condition.
There are Maternity "discount" plans that do not fully cover maternity care, but give you a discount on your bills, but I'm not sure how well they work or how much of a discount you will see on your bills. I would talk to your doctor and ask what they accept to help with your options.

i say go to the health dept and they will set you up with govt ins and wic both

Hello K.,
I am glad that you went ahead with Kaiser. I know that you will get incredable care and find that the pedi. department is wonderful. I would suggest that if you have any special medical needs that you tell them so they can get you with a doctor that works in that area. So happy for your family and wish you the best.

Most all insurance companies will have a minimum 3 month waiting period after you get signed on because it is a pre-existing condition. Did you really fully cancel your policy because if not I would advise against it. It will be a lot harder to find coverage if you have none currently. You can check with the state you are in and see if you are covered under state insurance.

getting insurance when you don't have insurance is more difficult. Is it too late to call Blue Shield to wait on that cancellation?

I don't think insurance companies take you once you are pregnant. (the only way is through work, that way they have to take you!)

I researched this a few years ago when we were planning baby number two. It may be different in California, but here in Texas there were only two private insurance companies that would cover maternity expenses. They were much more expensive (when we crunched the numbers, paying for it all out of pocket would have been cheaper) and one of them required a waiting period of one year. We wound up waiting until the enrollment period and adding me to my husband's policy for the year. At one point we we debated what we would do if we had a "surprise" and we learned that a change in career was a reason for being able
to enroll during a non-enrollment period. So we decided if I had to I could go back to work for a few months before going back to being a SAHM. I don't know if it's an option for you, but maybe worth looking into.

We've had Kaiser for years and really have found it to be great. Take advantage of the pharmacy - they sell lots of OTC medicine and even prenatal vitamins for cheap.
the only thing that is different about Kaiser is that your OBGYN won't deliver your baby, whoever is on duty will. However, both of my babies were delivered by wonderful midwives, nurses and OBGYN's and they really took good care of my terrified hubby too! ( our first born was preemie)
changing doctors and or facility locations is easy too.
Good luck!

K., I'm so happy to hear you got covered and actually for a pretty decent cost! Kaiser sure does seem to make a lot of people happy.

Thanks for your question since it may help others who find themselves in the same situation.

Congrats on your pregnancy and good luck with everything!

Contact social security and see if you qualify for medicaid. Or call you local or state health dept. and see what type of government programs you qualify for.

Not sure if you qualify but I think California covers all uninsured pregnant women,either through medical or AIM program. I would call your local county health department or website to find info. I do not have insurance and medical covered both of my pregnancies and hospital births

You will qualify for AIM (Access to Women & Infants) if you are less than 28 weeks pregnant. If you do a google search for it you should be able to find it. It will last from now until about 6 weeks after your pregnancy ends.

Here is the Website for AIM http://www.aim.ca.gov/Home/

I don't really know, but my first thought is any new insurer would consider this a "pre-existing condition" and may not cover it. Don't know if that applies to pregnancy, but I would be a bit concerned if I were you. If you're in california, you can get Medi-Cal to cover only your pregnancy related expenses. Check with your local medi-cal office. You will probably have a share of cost but it's better than nothing

If you qualify for financial assistance, you can apply for AIM (Access for Infants and Mothers, a state funded program). Your entire pregnancy and delivery can be as low as $700 if they approve you. If you google it you should find it easily.

Kaiser, I have been with them for years and had great care including prenatal

the only thing now is to see if you qualify for medicaid or chip perinatal, which allows you to have much higher income than medicaid because they know how important it is to have prenatal care. other than that....i don't think you have any other options...