Pregnancy...is it a preexisting condition?

[waiting4babee]

Hi everyone,

I'm having trouble with my boss at work, and I'm really wanting to find another job so that I can quit. However, I get my insurance through my company (my husband gets his insurance through my company as well, but he has said that he could just buy his own insurance).

My question is...if I were to leave my job and get another one, would I be insurable, given that I am 6 weeks pregnant? I know that some companies make you wait anywhere from 30 to 90 days before you can get benefits; I've thought of that, and I figured that I could maybe pay for my doctor visits out of pocket until then. But my bigger concern would be being able to get insurance at all being pregnant.

Also, is maternity insurance too expensive to buy yourself?

This would be a bad time to leave my job because of the insurance issue, but I just wanted to know my options, just in case. (my boss is giving me a really hard time with requesting time off for doctor's appointments, so I am dreading the next 9 months of having to ask for time off!)

Thanks for any advice that you can offer!!

 

[LittleOnes]

I think this can very much depend on where you are located. But in most cases, I believe pregnancy is considered a pre-existing condition. It may also depend on how far along you are, whether you've received any medical care based on your pregnancy yet....

Plus I would consider the fact that you may not find a job so quickly, and that some new jobs will have a waiting period (some as long as 90 days!) before you can use your insurance as a new employee. I would research some privately purchased maternity/general insurance, get some price quotes and see if that's manageable.

Is it a job that you feel causes you danger being pregnant or do you just not like it? If you just don't like it....I personally might just wait it out. ETA I re-read and see that you are having trouble with your boss. For me it would depend what the problem is and whether I could just stand to wait it out, or maybe look at being moved to another boss/unit in the same company/job?

 

[mommylam]

Pregnancy was considered a pre-existing condition during my first pregnancy when DH started a new job. It would only pay at 60% I believe.

I hope that you find a happy solution to your problem!!! Good Luck!

 

[christinas06]

I was told by my insurance company that the new health care law got rid of the preexisting condition rule.

On another note when I started my job a preexisting condition only mattered if you were with out insurance for more then 90 days. I think. A course this is if you are in the US.

Another thing to think about is FMLA. I think you have to be employed with the company for 1 year for them to be required to keep your job for you when you have the baby. I'm not sure though. You might want to research that too.

 

[sunshine20]

Someone told me that if it's an insurance plan through an employer they can't deny you but if it's a personal plan you. Buy yourself, they can. But like someone else said, they either passed or are passing a law saying that it isn't a pre existing condition

 

[spidey]

if you're having a gap between insurance coverage due to a job change, I think you could pay for COBRA to cover that gap. Look into it and see if thats an option for you. I had a 2 month gap between employers and bought COBRA through work so I would have no lapse in coverage.

 

[esst]

I don't know where you are, however...

I was in this position earlier in the year without being pregnant. I was laid off and we lost our insurance. COBRA was financially impossible ($1k a month for two of us) and we went without. DH was hired over the summer and contracted out to a place that now wants to hire him. We will have insurance in December when that happens.

Pregnancy is not legally allowed to be considered a pre-existing condition for group insurance, that is insurance you get through your employer.

Individual policies do not need to follow that law (yet) and there is also an issue with HIPAA coverage not extending to people who are without insurance for 63 days or more.

I'd speak with whomever your OB/GYN is and see what their self-pay rates are. Getting insurance while pregnant is extremely difficult and I doubt you'd be able to find any company who'd give you or your husband an individual insurance plan.