Here's the story:
My husband was laid off from his job in March. All of his benefits were cut off, and we no longer had insurance. Around the same time, we found out that we are expecting our first child. With no insurance, and relying on unemployment--I filed for medicaid.
I was approved for medicaid, and have been recieving treatment for a few months. Now my husband's job called him back, and he will be getting his insurance back soon.
I got a letter from medicaid asking us as routine to update our income level. We make just a few hundred dollars more a month then the guidelines allow. So I fear that I will be dropped from medicaid.
People have been telling me that, even though my husband will be getting our insurance back, that since I have already been seeing a doctor for my pregnancy that they will not cover the rest of my pregnancy, and labor/delivery.
Does anyone else know about this? Or can you please help me?
Thanks in advance!!!
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
I'm not sure if Medicaid is the same country wide or if it varies state to state, but I can tell you what went on with me in Virginia.My husband and I were both unemployed this past summer. We already knew we were pregnant. Since we were both unemployed, we were eligible for medicaid and WIC. My husband then got a part time job and I went back to work full time in August. My income put us well over the medicaid and WIC guidelines. I reported my income change to both agencies. We were dropped from WIC, put Medicaid told us that once we were in, we stayed in until the baby was one year old, even though we were over income. This may be the case with you, Good luck!
You will have to call the insurance provider and find out for sure, or look through the books that you receive with the insurance info. My story was that I switched my company's insurance policy (as owner) for a better plan suited for us there at the end of the year. Well, I was eleven weeks pregnant when I did that and the new plan didn't cover me because they did, in fact, consider it an existing condition. I had to pay for my pregnancy in full over the following thirty weeks. It was expensive and in hindsight, I wish I hadn't done that even though the new policy was cheaper for my business. It cost me around $7,000 to have my baby that my husband and I had to pay out of pocket.
I chose to pay the bill in full, but you can always pay payments to the hospital. (So, don't freak if you find yourself without coverage.)
You really need to check, and if it doesn't cover than perhaps you qualify for the pregnancy assitance program that the state provides since you stated you were only a few hundred dollars over. There are other assistance programs that are not medicaid. If you don't qualify for one, look into another and if you are equipt with a good social worker they should be able to steer you in the right direction. Good luck with the new baby.
*Edit: The answerer at the bottom brought up a good point. I'm not sure either if it is the same in all states, but as far as I know once you are in it doesn't matter what changes take place, you are covered through medicaid for a certain amount of time. I didn't even think of that...
I think it depends on the insurance company, I had a job, had insurance(united health care) and then when I found out I was pregnant they wouldn't cover my pregnancy I applied for medicaid who referred my case to C.H.I.P.S I was in the process when I got laid off and my case was approved for medicaid.
Try to apply for your husband's benefits if they won't approve your pregnancy go back to the medicaid office they might have other resources like a county hospital that offers their insurance I am texas we have a hospital called JPS my mom has their insurance and pays $5.00 co-pay each visit, my sister had them when she was pregnant with her first.
My husband added me to his insurance, thinking it'd cover my first pregnancy, nope, it's a pre-existing condition and we'd have to pay the deductible before they would pay anything. We dropped me from his insurance and took medicaid.