Planning to Get Pregnant? A Health Share May Help You More than Traditional Health Insurance
Are you and your partner planning to get pregnant? Or maybe you just discovered you are already pregnant. Either way— congratulations! This is a big milestone in your life and we hope you feel excited and overjoyed. When it comes to being prepared before the baby comes, your list is likely to seem endless.
If you are pregnant, perhaps you’re already thinking about how you’ll decorate the baby’s room or what kind of stroller you should get. If you’re trying to get pregnant, you might be focused on what you can do to increase your chances of conceiving. We could go on and on here, but the point is that there is a lot to do to prepare for getting pregnant and having a baby.
And while it should be a joyous time, we know that having a baby can also come with a lot of stress and worry. One of the most important things to consider if you’re planning to get pregnant is how to pay for prenatal care, childbirth, and postnatal care. We highly encourage you to prioritize this on your “Before Baby Comes To-Do List”.
You want to make sure that you’re prepared when it comes to prenatal care and any medical expenses that you’ll incur during your pregnancy. We encourage you to explore all of your options, including maternity health insurance, so that you can make an informed decision. This can be overwhelming though, and you don’t have to do it alone. We are here to help.
What is a Health Share?
If you’re planning to get pregnant and shopping around for health insurance, look into becoming a member of a health share instead. A health share offers you a more affordable option when it comes to your healthcare needs. A health share isn’t health insurance— it’s an alternative to it.
In order for your maternity healthcare expenses to be taken care of, you must be a member of the health share for at least 90 days before conception.
When you become a member of a health share, such as Big Stuff Health Share, not only will your health care needs be taken care of, but you’ll also become part of a caring community of health-conscious people. You’re joining a supportive group of moral and ethical individuals.
In a world where health insurance and health providers are more focused on capitalizing monetarily than on your individual medical needs, being a member of a health share is like a safe haven. Learn more about what a health share is and how you can save money with one here.
What to Do with Insurance Before Having a Baby
If you tend to procrastinate, we urge you not to do so when it comes to arranging health insurance or other resources before having a baby. Please do your research on your options and choose one long before the baby arrives. You want to be covered during your pregnancy, so ideally, you should start exploring your health insurance options even before you are trying to conceive. Why not get a head start?
Remember when we mentioned the stress and anxiety that comes with bringing a tiny human being into this world? Well, we don’t want you to add to that by putting off exploring maternity health insurance and other alternatives. Secure your healthcare strategy well-before your bun is ready to come out of the oven. Trust us, you’ll be so glad you made a decision on this earlier rather than later.
If you’re not planning to conceive for at least three months, you can save thousands of dollars on maternity care and childbirth expenses through Big Stuff Health Share. Members pay only a total of $1,500 toward the prenatal/postnatal care and childbirth. The health share community shares the rest.
This health share option is incredibly affordable compared to the premiums and out-of-pocket costs of most health insurance products. We’ll break down an example price comparison for you below. If you’re interested in learning more about Big Stuff Health Share you can find more information here.
Save Money on Maternity Health Care with a Health Share Membership
While getting pregnant and having a baby are some of the most exciting moments in life, they can also be super expensive. Without health insurance, the average cost in the United States for childbirth is a whopping $18,865! This includes costs for pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care. The type of birth you have and where you live are other factors that affect your costs for childbirth.
With traditional health insurance, the national out-of-pocket average cost is $2,854. With Big Stuff Health Share, the out-of-pocket cost is about half of that. This clearly demonstrates the importance of securing health insurance or a health share membership before getting pregnant. Not only will it reduce your stress levels, but it will save you a lot of money.
Let’s look at the state of Utah to compare childbirth costs with traditional health insurance versus a health share membership.
Traditional Health Insurance: Average Out-Of-Pocket Costs for Childbirth in Utah
C-SECTION: $2,346
VAGINAL BIRTH: $2,254
Big Stuff Health Share: Out-Of-Pocket Costs for Childbirth in Utah
ANY TYPE OF CHILDBIRTH: $1,500 (“Whatcha Gotta Pay First” WGP1)
Regardless of the type of birth you have, with Big Stuff Health Share, a mom only pays up to $1,500 out of pocket for childbirth and any prenatal care costs. With traditional health insurance in Utah, your childbirth costs will be well over $2,000. And that doesn’t even include what you'll save month-to-month by contributing to a health share instead of paying insurance premiums.
Maternity healthcare costs are just a fraction of the expenses that you’ll have with a new baby. If you can find a way to get high-quality healthcare while saving money that can be spent on other necessities, please do so.
Get the Best Maternity Health Care Coverage When You Plan Ahead
In addition to reducing your stress and out-of-pocket costs for childbirth, planning ahead when it comes to your maternity health care ensures you will get the most affordable option. The sooner you start planning, the more options you will have. While you can still get health insurance once pregnant, we highly advise against waiting to do so. Here are a few things to look into in advance:
Open enrollment and waiting periods for insurance: There are often open enrollment periods and waiting periods when it comes to health insurance. Enrollment varies from provider to provider as well as the waiting period—which is the time between when you sign up for health care coverage and the time until it goes into effect.
Grandfathered insurance plans: If you already have a health insurance plan or alternative in place, one question to consider is whether or not that plan is grandfathered. A plan is considered grandfathered if it has been in place since March 23, 2010 or earlier and has not been significantly changed to affect your benefits or the cost of your insurance. Why is this of any importance to you? Grandfathered plans that were purchased individually (not through your employer) are not obligated to provide maternity and childcare coverage. Don’t assume anything when it comes to your maternity health care.
Membership time requirements for health share: To avoid draining community savings funds, health shares may not share costs for pre-existing conditions, including pregnancy. Because a health share is not an insurance company, they are not under regulations to do so. For example, Big Stuff Health Share does not pay maternity expenses for members who are already pregnant when they join or become pregnant before reaching 90 days of membership. Monthly contributions are significantly lower than most health insurance premiums, and the out-of-pocket costs to you are typically lower than if you paid with insurance.
Exploring Maternity Health Insurance Options
Whether you’re planning to get pregnant, just got a positive pregnancy test result, or your baby bump is starting to show—we wish you the best of luck on your journey to parenthood.
There are many options out there when it comes to maternity health care insurance or health share options. You can take this short quiz to see if a health share is the right fit for you and your growing family.
And if you have any questions regarding please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask us.