Home Life insurance Life insurance basics Can I change my insurance plan if I get pregnant? | Insure.com Can I change my insurance plan if I get pregnant? | Insure.com Written by: Shivani Gite Shivani Gite Shivani Gite is a personal finance and insurance writer with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She is passionate about making insurance topics easy to understand for people and helping them make better financial decisions. | Reviewed by: Nupur Gambhir Nupur Gambhir Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service. | Updated on August 10, 2023 Why you should trust Insure.com Quality Verified At Insure.com, we are committed to providing honest and reliable information so that you can make the best financial decisions for you and your family. All of our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. We maintain strict editorial independence from insurance companies to maintain editorial integrity, so our recommendations are unbiased and are based on a comprehensive list of criteria. There are few times in life more exciting — and more nerve-wracking — than the period before your child is born. Before you welcome your new baby, it’s important to review your life, health and home insurance coverage to protect your growing family. Here are three insurance moves you should make well before the big day arrives. 1. Buy life insurance — or more of it Life insurance should be at the top of your to-do list when your family is about to grow. According to a 2021 LIMRA report, a life insurance and marketing research association, most U.S. households (70%) with children under 18 would have trouble meeting everyday living expenses within a few months if a primary wage earner were to die. A term life insurance policy will provide valuable financial protection for your children if you unexpectedly pass away. And depending on your needs, you might also benefit from child life insurance. “If you’re considering getting your child life insurance, adding a child rider to your term life insurance policy could be a good option,” says Sahang-Hee Hahn, head of strategy and planning at Haven Life. But even if you’re not the primary breadwinner in your family, life insurance still has benefits. Life insurance is important for stay-at-home moms. “With a single parent as the only provider, financial protection becomes even more important,” Hahn says. If you’re one of the five million women who have children and don’t work outside the home, your family would likely need to pay for childcare and for someone to do other household tasks if you were suddenly gone. Your life insurance policy would help cover those costs. 2. Realign your health insurance benefits If you don’t have health insurance, you can enroll only during an open enrollment period. The only exception is if you have a qualifying life event, such as losing coverage through a spouse or job, or moving to a new state. Those situations will trigger a special enrollment period. Pregnancy isn’t considered a life-changing event that qualifies you for a special enrollment period, but the baby’s birth is. You will have 60 days from birth to buy health insurance (for you and the baby) from a marketplace, but only 30 days to be added to your employer or your partner’s employer’s job-based health plan. If you already have insurance, this special enrollment period allows you to make changes to your existing plan, such as adding your child. So, what does health insurance cover? Health insurance usually covers pregnancy and childbirth. Under the Affordable Care Act, maternity care and childbirth are among the ten essential health benefits that all qualified health plans must cover. However, there are some exceptions. One exception is if you’re under age 26 and are covered under a parent’s health insurance policy. Larger employers who are self-insured don’t have to meet essential health requirements, according to the National Women’s Law Center in Washington, D.C. They can exclude maternity coverage for dependents, so it’s always a good idea to double-check if you have health insurance that covers maternity care. Most plans cover the costs of delivery and aftercare, but you may need to pay part of the bill for your hospital stay. You may have lower copays if you choose a doctor and hospital that is part of your plan’s network, so be sure to detail it from your hospital before seeking care. Get a detailed list of your out-of-pocket expenses for the delivery and your hospital stay months ahead of your due date. Some hospitals require partial payment in advance. Plan ahead so you won’t be stuck in the finance office when you should be in the delivery suite. If you’re still on a parent’s policy when you deliver your bundle of joy, you won’t be able to add your child to that policy. Your child is your dependent, not your parent’s, meaning you will need to purchase a separate policy for your child within the special enrollment period. If you have a low income and qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), you can sign up for these programs anytime. Most states have expanded their Medicaid coverage to pregnant women within certain income limits, but you should check whether yours does. If it does, determine the eligibility requirements since they can vary by state. 3. Reconsider your home insurance policy A new addition to your family may require a new home, car, or both. If you’re moving to a bigger home to accommodate the growing family, it’s time to shop for homeowners insurance or renters insurance, if you’ll be renting). Your current insurer may not be the best one for your new residence. Shopping for home insurance quotes can help ensure you’re getting a fair price. If, instead of moving, you’re making significant home improvements, like adding a bedroom or bathroom to your home, let your insurance company know and adjust your coverage accordingly. You don’t want your new and improved home to be underinsured. If your newborn child inherits a family heirloom that has some significant value — such as a great-great grandfather’s gold pocket watch or a grandmother’s diamond engagement ring — talk to your agent about whether you need to schedule it separately on your home insurance policy. The items that comes with a new baby — cribs, dressers, changing tables, car seats, play pens and so on — won’t affect your homeowner’s policy. But you’ll still want to inventory it and keep the list of your personal belongings up-to-date. If something happens and these items get damaged, it’ll be easier to file the claim with your insurance carrier and get reimbursed. You may also be wondering: Can I get a discount on car insurance if I get pregnant? Having a baby won’t get you a car insurance discount, but changing to a family vehicle might lower your rates. If you’re trading that two-seater sports car for a family-friendly SUV or minivan, expect to pay less each month. Still, some vehicles you’re considering may have higher rates than others, so comparing costs is important before you hit the showroom. Before you purchase a car, it’s a good idea to get insurance quotes to avoid surprises. With a new baby and new expenses, money can be tight, so choosing a vehicle that’s safe and affordable is key. To compare rates between car models, you can use Insure.com’s average insurance rates by model tool, which features rate data for more than 2,000 current-year vehicles. QuickTake Understanding your life insurance policy options How to read your life insurance policy How to find out if someone has life insurance Life insurance riders: What they are and how they work What is a life insurance beneficiary? 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The 5 most terrifying life insurance words Life insurance on a shoestring budget How to maximize the cash value of a life insurance policy Life insurance coverage: 6 Things You Didn't Know It Covers Sports that could knock you out of contention for life insurance Variable life and variable annuity sub-accounts: The more the merrier? Life insurance living benefits provide cash for the terminally ill Insurance and marriage See more > Frequently asked questions: Can I add my unborn child to my health insurance plan? No, you cannot add your unborn child to your insurance policy. In most states, you can’t enroll in or change your health insurance outside of open enrollment if you are pregnant. However, other life changes may let you have a special enrollment period: the birth of a child, placing a child in foster care or adopting a child. If you have employer-sponsored insurance, your baby will be covered for a set duration immediately after birth. Get in touch with your insurance company, human resources and benefits department within 30 days of the baby’s birth to get your newborn added to the policy. Is having a baby a life-changing event for health insurance? Having a baby is a life-changing or qualifying event that allows you to enroll the newborn child in a health insurance plan, no matter what time of the year they are born. You will have a 60-day special enrollment period from the date of birth. Sources: Pew Research Center “ Breadwinner Moms “Accessed June 2022. LIMRA “Life Insurance Is a Key Component of Middle-Income Families Financial Security “Accessed June 2022. × Get Free Life Insurance Quotes Today! Zip Code Please enter valid zip Age Age 16 – 20 21 – 24 25 – 34 35 – 44 45 – 54 55 – 64 65+ Coverage Amount Coverage Amount $50,000 – $100,000 $100,000 – $200,000 $200,000 – $300,000 $400,000 – $500,000 $500,000 – $1,000,000 $1,000,000 – $2,000,000 $2,000,000 – $5,000,000 $5,000,000+ Coverage Type Coverage Type Whole Life Term Life Final Expense Not Sure Gender Gender Male Female Non-Binary Tobacco Use Yes No Compare Quotes Shivani GiteContributing Writer | . .Shivani Gite is a personal finance and insurance writer with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She is passionate about making insurance topics easy to understand for people and helping them make better financial decisions. Related Articles What happens if you outlive your term life insurance? By Shivani Gite What is indexed universal life insurance? By Shivani Gite Savings+ By Wysh 2023 Review: A High-Yield Savings + Life Insurance Combo By Insure.com What is final expense insurance and how does it work? 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