I am traveling with my kids to florida and I want to know if Obamacare insurance include maternity (labor and baby delivery) and when should I apply to be effective when I get there?


Answer

To have maternity coverage in a state when moving you can enroll via special enrollment or get Medicaid. For traveling your current insurance covers emergencies. This being said there are quiet a few important factors to consider.

  • All Medicaid plans and insurance sold after 2014 covers maternity, but some "grandfathered plans" can exclude it.
  • You can only get coverage during open enrollment, unless you qualify for special enrollment, so if you don't already have coverage you may not have options. However, Medicaid can be enrolled in 365 days a year.
  • If you are traveling (and are a US citizen) you'll need to already have coverage as typically you aren't going to be sold any type of temporary coverage if you are already pregnant and expecting to give birth.
  • If you live outside the U.S. aren't going to be sold travelers insurance if you are already pregnant either.
  • You can only qualify for Medicaid if a state has expanded Medicaid (see which states expanded here).
  • If you are moving you should coordinate and enroll in coverage at least 30 days before you move to ensure your plan starts on time (learn more here).
  • Although all plans cover maternity and emergencies you really shouldn't be purposefully accessing maternity services (like labor and delivery) in a different state unless you have a multi-state PPO. Getting your insurer to cover each of the services you access out-of-state on a narrow network HMO sounds like more trouble than it's worth.
  • Lastly, make sure that you are avoiding a gap in coverage. Sometimes switching plans can leave a few days of having a gap in coverage. This can be avoided by planning ahead in most cases.

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