Health insurance for mom & baby
Have you ever wondered what benefits your health card offers when you are pregnant?
Parenting Room made a couple of calls to two of the island’s leading health insurance providers to find out what a pregnant woman can access through her health card.
We found out that the following factors impacted the benefits:
– the length of time the person was on the insurance plan
– whether the plan is individual or group
– the particular benefits agreed on by a company.
So the figures that we will present are not final but are subject to change based on factors like those previously mentioned.
One insurance company which we will name Company A offers the following:
-Normal delivery – $20,000. This figure will be split in half and shared between the hospital and the doctor who does the delivery.
– Caesarean section or Ectopic pregnancy (when the site of implantation is outside the womb – usually the embryo lodges in the tubes) – $40,000. This too is split in half between the doctor and the hospital.
– Miscarriages -$10,000.
The first two antenatal (before the baby’s birth) visits to the doctor are also covered.
Company B offered the following:
– Normal Delivery – $25,000
– Caesarean section – $50,000
– Miscarriages – $13,000
Diagnostic services such as blood tests and ultrasounds – $5000
Antenatal and post-natal visits to the specialist or gynaecologist are also covered.
Like anything else, if you are seeking health insurance it pays to shop around. Sometimes your hands are tied if for example your company chooses the company and works out a package. Whatever they agree to is what you get. It is important that when you are planning your pregnancy you check what maternity benefits your organisation offers.
It is also wise to know whether you have to pay first when you go to the doctors office and then submit your receipt to the insurance company or if you can just use your health card and pay the difference.
That bit of knowledge can make a world of difference when you are doing your pregnancy budget. Also note that a business place is only required by law to assist with three pregnancies by an employee – after that the employee could be on her own in terms of footing the costs. She is no longer entitled to maternity leave with pay or company insurance maternity benefits.
If you have any comments or questions on this E-mail us at allwoman@jamaicaobserver.com or write to us at All Woman c/o the Jamaica Observer, 2 Fagan Avenue, Kingston 8.
Parental happenings.
Ashe in association with the National Family Planning Board, Coalition for Better Parenting, USAID and Family Health International (FHI) will be launching their new parenting kit called ‘Parenting Vibes in the world of sexuality.’
The kit will have a parenting manual, an activity book, video tape, a CD and cassette. It is billed as providing innovative methods of teaching parenting skills for the world of sexuality. The event will be held at the Island Life Cinema in New Kingston on Thursday, February 6 at 5:30pm.
Answers Corporation has a special offer for all expectant mothers – twenty per cent off on a range of items needed during pregnancy such as baby furniture, baby cosmetics, baby supplies and mothers special needs – especially things needed to take to the hospital. Stores are located in Kingston and Spanish Town.
