Jan
16
Does maternity rider for individual health care plans and group plans work differently?
Filed Under maternity | 5 Comments
hickssam25 asked:
Say if the waiting period is 10 months and you conceive 4 months from the start of maternity rider. Does this mean that the insurance company will foot the bill for delivery but not the pre-natal care , ultrasounds etc ? If you are a part of an employer’s group plan with maternity benefits/maternity rider, does this waiting period work differently?
Say if the waiting period is 10 months and you conceive 4 months from the start of maternity rider. Does this mean that the insurance company will foot the bill for delivery but not the pre-natal care , ultrasounds etc ? If you are a part of an employer’s group plan with maternity benefits/maternity rider, does this waiting period work differently?
Jan
12
How long should I take for maternity leave?
Filed Under maternity | 13 Comments
Rose asked:
I am due September 17th and I am planning on working till about two weeks or a week before. And I was going to take maternity leave through Dec. and come back in mid-January. My husband has a full time job so money will wont be an issue during that time. Is that too long of a maternity leave? How long did you take?
I am due September 17th and I am planning on working till about two weeks or a week before. And I was going to take maternity leave through Dec. and come back in mid-January. My husband has a full time job so money will wont be an issue during that time. Is that too long of a maternity leave? How long did you take?
Jan
11
PrettyWifey asked:
I am 18 weeks pregnant with my first baby. I lost 7 lbs and have only gained 2 lbs total so far.
I am 18 weeks pregnant with my first baby. I lost 7 lbs and have only gained 2 lbs total so far.
I am wearing maternity pants since my belly feels bloated, but I can’t wear maternity shirts yet. Right now it just looks like I have a small pouch that no one really notices.
When did you have to start wearing maternity shirts? I feel fat when I wear my regular shirts so I am covering up with sweaters!
Jan
8
Filed Under maternity | Leave a Comment
Dennis Jarvis asked:
What are some current plans that work well when maternity coverage is not needed? Maternity is one of the single biggest determinants on health plan cost when researching individual health insurance plans in the California market. It’s easy to see why when a simple delivery can run $10,000 and an uncomplicated C-section can run $20,000. Maternity is probably the only health care service you can actually plan on to some extent. No one plans for a broken bone. Health care costs have spiraled up over the last years primarily because of facility based care (translated as hospital based care) and maternity is deeply dependent on such care. So if maternity is something you may need now or possibly in the future, it’s probably best to stop reading. Be careful not to assume that you can get a non-maternity plan now to save money and switch in the future as you get closer to the need for maternity coverage. If your health changes or if you become pregnant, it might be impossible to switch to a plan that covers maternity.
Non-maternity health plans on the market
Let’s look at some plans on the market for people who will definitely not need maternity coverage.
First, HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) type plans have become pretty expensive in comparison with mid-level PPO options. The HMO plans usually cover maternity anyway which is partially why they are so expensive so we’ll concentrate more on PPO plans which is were the market has been heading.
PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plans offer a full range of non-maternity health plans but on a practical sense, it comes down to really two ways of approaching health care needs. We will look at Anthem Blue Cross as an example since they are both a strong carrier and priced well. First, are we going for? Well, we want comprehensive coverage. This means we do not want to find big holes in our coverage later on relative to the other plans on the market. We also do not want the richest plans. When you’re paying for your own health insurance, the annual premium difference between various plans is a major consideration if two plans differ by how they treat office copays and RX copays but the premium difference is $1000. $1000 pays for a lot of copays in a year’s time. Based on this, start by looking at these two suite of plans.
Lumenos HSA plans (non-maternity option) or PPO $3500 HSA compatible plan
This is a simple plan as far as health insurance is considered. Essentially, you have a high deductible for which all covered benefits are subject to. The Lumenos plans carves out some preventative benefit coverage which is very useful for those that require this. Either way, the theory is a high deductible to keep the cost down. This is best suited for:
1. Older individuals (since age is the primary driving force of cost)
2. People who are most interested in catastrophic health insurance to cover big bills
3. Those individuals that wish to take advantage of the the tax benefits of an HSA.
The pricing tends to be some of the lowest on the market for comprehensive coverage. One note…the deductible for two or more people on one policy is double and cumulative for all family members on the policy. For example, if one person’s deductible is $1500, a family’s cumulative deductible would be $3000 and all family members are working towards the same deductible.
Smart Sense PPO plans with no maternity coverage
The other suite of plans to compare is the Smart Sense PPO plans with Comprehensive RX. You have an option of deductible amount to choose from which drives the cost of the monthly premium. The major difference between these plans and the HSA plans mentioned above is that office copays and RX coverage is not subject to the main deductible. Also, the main deductible is per person with the Smart Sense plans while the HSA plans are cumulative deductibles.
You can run your instant quote at www.calhealth.net to research both the HSA compatible plans and the Smart Sense plans for comprehensive, non-maternity health insurance. Make sure to read through the brochures and please let us know if we can help in any way.
What are some current plans that work well when maternity coverage is not needed? Maternity is one of the single biggest determinants on health plan cost when researching individual health insurance plans in the California market. It’s easy to see why when a simple delivery can run $10,000 and an uncomplicated C-section can run $20,000. Maternity is probably the only health care service you can actually plan on to some extent. No one plans for a broken bone. Health care costs have spiraled up over the last years primarily because of facility based care (translated as hospital based care) and maternity is deeply dependent on such care. So if maternity is something you may need now or possibly in the future, it’s probably best to stop reading. Be careful not to assume that you can get a non-maternity plan now to save money and switch in the future as you get closer to the need for maternity coverage. If your health changes or if you become pregnant, it might be impossible to switch to a plan that covers maternity.
Non-maternity health plans on the market
Let’s look at some plans on the market for people who will definitely not need maternity coverage.
First, HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) type plans have become pretty expensive in comparison with mid-level PPO options. The HMO plans usually cover maternity anyway which is partially why they are so expensive so we’ll concentrate more on PPO plans which is were the market has been heading.
PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plans offer a full range of non-maternity health plans but on a practical sense, it comes down to really two ways of approaching health care needs. We will look at Anthem Blue Cross as an example since they are both a strong carrier and priced well. First, are we going for? Well, we want comprehensive coverage. This means we do not want to find big holes in our coverage later on relative to the other plans on the market. We also do not want the richest plans. When you’re paying for your own health insurance, the annual premium difference between various plans is a major consideration if two plans differ by how they treat office copays and RX copays but the premium difference is $1000. $1000 pays for a lot of copays in a year’s time. Based on this, start by looking at these two suite of plans.
Lumenos HSA plans (non-maternity option) or PPO $3500 HSA compatible plan
This is a simple plan as far as health insurance is considered. Essentially, you have a high deductible for which all covered benefits are subject to. The Lumenos plans carves out some preventative benefit coverage which is very useful for those that require this. Either way, the theory is a high deductible to keep the cost down. This is best suited for:
1. Older individuals (since age is the primary driving force of cost)
2. People who are most interested in catastrophic health insurance to cover big bills
3. Those individuals that wish to take advantage of the the tax benefits of an HSA.
The pricing tends to be some of the lowest on the market for comprehensive coverage. One note…the deductible for two or more people on one policy is double and cumulative for all family members on the policy. For example, if one person’s deductible is $1500, a family’s cumulative deductible would be $3000 and all family members are working towards the same deductible.
Smart Sense PPO plans with no maternity coverage
The other suite of plans to compare is the Smart Sense PPO plans with Comprehensive RX. You have an option of deductible amount to choose from which drives the cost of the monthly premium. The major difference between these plans and the HSA plans mentioned above is that office copays and RX coverage is not subject to the main deductible. Also, the main deductible is per person with the Smart Sense plans while the HSA plans are cumulative deductibles.
You can run your instant quote at www.calhealth.net to research both the HSA compatible plans and the Smart Sense plans for comprehensive, non-maternity health insurance. Make sure to read through the brochures and please let us know if we can help in any way.
Jan
6
Filed Under maternity | Leave a Comment
John Massa asked:
Extended absences from work due to disability during and after maternity have become an ever-increasing occurrence. According to a 2002 study, 29% of short term disabilities (180 days or less) and 12% of long-term disabilities are due to pregnancy. Pregnancy disability can turn a wonderful, life-changing experience into a serious financial challenge when Mom is out of work for months before and/or after the maternity period. Disability Income insurance can provide needed cash in the absence or a regular work scheduled because of a maternity disability.
Many corporations offer paid leave benefits to employees that provide full pay for up to 3 months after delivery. Complications that cause the employee to be out of work before delivery or beyond the maternity leave period after delivery can cause the household to lose cash flow for months or longer.
Maternity disability can be planned for with individual short term disability insurance that can commonly provide up to 70% of regular income while Mom is not able to work due to illness or injury for 3-6 months. Long-term disability insurance kicks in after the short-term benefits expire and can provide income protection for up to five years or longer. In fact, long term disability insurance policies commonly pay benefits until age 65 to ensure income in the event of a permanent disability such as if a dentist was to lose the use of a hand or eye.
Future Moms often rely on employee-sponsored group disability insurance. Group disability can provide benefits up to 60% of regular income. However, benefits from group policies are taxed as regular income, reducing actual benefits to roughly 42% income. Employer policies also commonly come with a bevy of exceptions and limitations that can reduce or eliminate benefits altogether.
Group disability insurance is a great start toward income protection but it’s not the complete answer. A very affordable supplemental disability insurance policy can very affordably plug the holes in group coverage and provide a formidable shield against income loss due to a maternity disability. Income protection can be extended to 100% or regular income with supplemental coverage. Additionally, benefits paid via a supplemental policy are not taxed as income.
Women with a family history of challenges during maternity may also consider catastrophic disability insurance. CDI covers costs associated with extended at-home or facility care. For instance, if Mom’s doctor orders her to bed for months before or after delivery, CDI can cover the expense of a day or live-in nurse to assist with the needs of day-to-day living. Such care is generally very expensive and is not covered by any other type of insurance. CDI covers up to a specified daily amount ($120, for instance) and policies can be purchased with a daily benefit that increases annually with inflation.
The solution to protecting a new Mom’s income during and after maternity is to acquire individual or supplemental disability insurance before becoming pregnant. Once pregnant, Moms find that additional disability insurance is no longer available.
“This is a common mistake we see almost every day,” notes Rene Apack, President of Insure Your Future, the nation’s leading independent disability insurance brokerage. “We get calls from pregnant women that have suddenly realized they may miss work due to a maternity disability. They are terrified of losing their income while out of work. Unfortunately, insurance carriers don’t offer new coverage during the 9 month maternity period.”
Future moms can protect their income from a long-term or short-term pregnancy disability. With this coverage, families can avoid the risk of losing a good portion of their household income for months, if not longer. Whether participating in an employer-sponsored group plan or not, maternity disability can affordably be planned for to ensure a truly safe pregnancy where a solid cash flow is maintained throughout the maternity period.
Extended absences from work due to disability during and after maternity have become an ever-increasing occurrence. According to a 2002 study, 29% of short term disabilities (180 days or less) and 12% of long-term disabilities are due to pregnancy. Pregnancy disability can turn a wonderful, life-changing experience into a serious financial challenge when Mom is out of work for months before and/or after the maternity period. Disability Income insurance can provide needed cash in the absence or a regular work scheduled because of a maternity disability.
Many corporations offer paid leave benefits to employees that provide full pay for up to 3 months after delivery. Complications that cause the employee to be out of work before delivery or beyond the maternity leave period after delivery can cause the household to lose cash flow for months or longer.
Maternity disability can be planned for with individual short term disability insurance that can commonly provide up to 70% of regular income while Mom is not able to work due to illness or injury for 3-6 months. Long-term disability insurance kicks in after the short-term benefits expire and can provide income protection for up to five years or longer. In fact, long term disability insurance policies commonly pay benefits until age 65 to ensure income in the event of a permanent disability such as if a dentist was to lose the use of a hand or eye.
Future Moms often rely on employee-sponsored group disability insurance. Group disability can provide benefits up to 60% of regular income. However, benefits from group policies are taxed as regular income, reducing actual benefits to roughly 42% income. Employer policies also commonly come with a bevy of exceptions and limitations that can reduce or eliminate benefits altogether.
Group disability insurance is a great start toward income protection but it’s not the complete answer. A very affordable supplemental disability insurance policy can very affordably plug the holes in group coverage and provide a formidable shield against income loss due to a maternity disability. Income protection can be extended to 100% or regular income with supplemental coverage. Additionally, benefits paid via a supplemental policy are not taxed as income.
Women with a family history of challenges during maternity may also consider catastrophic disability insurance. CDI covers costs associated with extended at-home or facility care. For instance, if Mom’s doctor orders her to bed for months before or after delivery, CDI can cover the expense of a day or live-in nurse to assist with the needs of day-to-day living. Such care is generally very expensive and is not covered by any other type of insurance. CDI covers up to a specified daily amount ($120, for instance) and policies can be purchased with a daily benefit that increases annually with inflation.
The solution to protecting a new Mom’s income during and after maternity is to acquire individual or supplemental disability insurance before becoming pregnant. Once pregnant, Moms find that additional disability insurance is no longer available.
“This is a common mistake we see almost every day,” notes Rene Apack, President of Insure Your Future, the nation’s leading independent disability insurance brokerage. “We get calls from pregnant women that have suddenly realized they may miss work due to a maternity disability. They are terrified of losing their income while out of work. Unfortunately, insurance carriers don’t offer new coverage during the 9 month maternity period.”
Future moms can protect their income from a long-term or short-term pregnancy disability. With this coverage, families can avoid the risk of losing a good portion of their household income for months, if not longer. Whether participating in an employer-sponsored group plan or not, maternity disability can affordably be planned for to ensure a truly safe pregnancy where a solid cash flow is maintained throughout the maternity period.