Changing insurance just before due date
I find myself in a bit of an unusual situation with regards to insurance and giving birth, and I'm wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation. I'm due to give birth in late September. I'm on my husband's insurance, which has a high deductible, so the birth would cost us a chunk of money. He's switching jobs at the end of August, and the new job will provide better insurance. Problem is that we're currently with Kaiser, and the new job probably won't include Kaiser as an option (we're not certain yet, but it's unlikely). Since Kaiser doctors don't accept any other insurance, if we switch to a new insurance, I assume that I won't be able to stay with my current OB/GYN. I don't want to look for a new OB/GYN at 8 month pregnant. Am I basically stuck with the high-deductible plan as far as this birth is concerned? Has anyone been in a similar situation? Thanks in advance!
Parent Replies
Something to think about—unless you are having a planned c-section, you have a pretty good chance that your OB may not be the one who attends your birth anyway.....has everything to do with timing.....
I was at Kaiser for the first half of my recent pregnancy and switched to Sutter / Alta Bates for the second half. Timing wasn’t quite as tight as your situation but overall it was totally fine! I went to the Milvia obgyn Group (they have a shared model where you may see different docs) and they are all so good! I loved kaiser for my first kid but have to say that my Alta bates experience was probably better! If this is an option for you and less expensive I’d say have no fear!
hi there,
I went through something similar just before my son was born in Dec 2017. In my case, I went from Blue Cross to Kaiser, and I was about 7 months pregnant. Here's a few things I learned:
* If you want to stay with Kaiser, you can continue with your current plan by enrolling in COBRA or Cal-COBRA through your husband's old employer. This is the law, they must provide this option for you. You will have to reimburse the old employer for the cost of continuing to provide coverage, so this will not be cheap but it will save you the hassle of having to find new doctors etc.
* If you decide to find new doctors, I would suggest contacting them now, alerting them to your situation, and making appointments now for after your insurance takes effect. I had a complicated pregnancy and had to find three different specialists, and all of them were very sympathetic and helped me book appointments even though I didn't have my new insurance card yet.
I'd be happy to talk more about any of this. Its stressful but you can do it! You can reach me at 510-851-1464 or autumnbomb [at] gmail.com
- Autumn
I had a similar issue. I bought the Kaiser insurance through Cobra to complete the pregnancy and delivery and immediate post-partum care. The employer will have the Cobra paperwork and payment plan. Take care
If your insurance is through your husband's current job and he's leaving that job at the end of August, do you even have the option of staying with Kaiser, short of paying out of pocket for it? It's not ideal, but I'd go ahead and switch to a new OB. Remember that at Kaiser, your OB isn't likely to be the one delivering your child anyway--so you could consider paying for an extra month of Kaiser to cover the remaining prenatal visits and then have labor and delivery elsewhere covered by the new plan. But honestly, I think it's simpler to just talk with OBs now and choose a new one once you know what your new insurance will be. You might also ask your Kaiser OB for recommendations--it's not an uncommon issue. Good luck with the decision!
Congratulations! It's disruptive to have to switch doctors mid-stream like that, for sure. However, if it's any consolation, it's unusual for a Kaiser OB/GYN to attend the actual birth, so chances are you would not have your OB/GYN there anyhow. (With my two Kaiser births, my doctor was present at only one, because she happened to be working that night.) Maybe save the money to enjoy once your baby is here?