© 2005 ~ Utah Insurance Advisors ~ All Rights Reserved
Questions? Call 801-679-0405 or email us
Preferred Insurance Partners
 | ||||
How Much Does it Cost to Have a Baby in Utah?
In 2007, the Utah Department of Health reported that the average maternity related hospital cost in Utah was:
- $4,792 for a vaginal delivery.
- $8,243 for a cesarean section delivery.
Doctor's and midwife's services are additional, and usually costs between $2,000 and $3,000 per pregnancy. Anesthesia is also additional (if you receive an epidural) and usually costs between $800 and $1,700.
It's not uncommon for a normal delivery to cost over $7,000, once you add up the doctor's services, the hospital stay, and an epidural. If you have a c-section, the total cost can easily exceed $10,000. If there are other complications, the total cost for your pregnancy can be even higher. Utah maternity insurance (through a regular health plan) can provide major medical protection.
Covering Normal Maternity Expenses
Here are a few tools you can use to help you cover your out of pocket maternity expenses:
- Savings Plan - Start a monthly savings plan before, or once you find out, you are pregnant.
- Tax Advantaged Health Savings Accounts - Purchase a high deductible health plan that is compatible with a health savings account. You can use money that you deposit into your health savings account pre-tax, to pay for the doctor, hospital, and anesthesia expenses. This added tax benefit can give you an additional financial advantage.
- Pre-Pay Discounts - Ask the hospital you plan on using if they will give you a discount if you pay the estimated maternity charges before the baby is born. Some hospitals offer 20%-30% discounts if you pre-pay your bill.
- Negotiated Rates - Find out what the estimated maternity charges would be if you paid the hospital your insurance company's negotiated rates. Find out if it makes financial sense to pre-pay as a cash patient, or use your insurance and pay negotiated rates.
- Supplemental Health Insurance Plans (also called hospital indemnity plans) - These plans were widely available in Utah before 2010. Although Utah supplemental health plans can help you pay for expenses related to maternity, mistakenly, these plans are what most people think of when they hear the term "Utah maternity insurance." Request information about Utah supplemental plans that pay benefits for maternity related hospital stays.
- Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance - Employer's health insurance plans often offer Utah maternity insurance. Sometimes it's only catastrophic coverage (with a high deductible for maternity), but if the plan is set up to have maternity coverage, it may pay for maternity the same as any other medical expense.
Protect Yourself and Your Family Against Catastrophic Financial Loss
A good question to ask yourself when having a baby is: "Am I covered in case there are catastrophic expenses?" Although none of us plan on it, it's smart to be protected, just in case.
Be sure to obtain a health plan with catastrophic coverage for maternity related expenses. If you have a health insurance plan, call your insurance company and ask them how they'll cover maternity expenses. If you don't have a health insurance plan that will cover catastrophic maternity expenses, click here to get instant quotes.
If there are complications with the mother or newborn, you could face devastating medical charges. According to a report released by the March of Dimes in 2009, a premature baby's average medical expenses for the first year of life are $49,000.
The mother can also face high medical expenses, such as prolonged hospitalization, urinary problems, hypertension & preclampsia, a ceserean section, bacterial & viral infections, and other costly problems.
Don't make the mistake of taking on 100% of the financial responsibility or maternity related expenses. If you don't have coverage, get a health insurance plan now.
Are You Already Pregnant?
Unfortunately, if you are already pregnant and uninsured, you will likely have trouble finding an insurance company that will accept you during your pregnancy. If you are pregnant, and need coverage, here are some resources you can use:
- Medicaid (State sponsored health insurance for low income individuals and families).
- Employer-Sponsored Group Coverage (Plans offered by your employer, or your spouse's employer).
- HIPUtah -The Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool of Utah (State sponsored health insurance speicifically for people who are uninsurable or who have been denied by a private health insurance company. A variety of incomes are accepted).
Utah Supplemental Health Insurance Plans
Some supplemental health insurance plans pay cash benefits for maternity related hospital stays. Most of these plans (also referred to as hospital indemnity plans) pay benefits when you are admitted to a hospital for 24 hours or more. Some pay benefit for each day you are in the hospital, as well as doctor office and surgical benefits.
Having a baby in Utah can be costly. If you don't have health insurance through an employer, you may be shocked to find out that individual & family plans have large maternity deductibles.
Maternity deductibles for individual & family plans range from $5,000 to $7,500 per pregnancy. This means that you are responsible to pay for the first $5,000 to $7,500 before your insurance company pays anything.
Supplemental health plans can be an effective was to help pay for your next baby.
Utah Maternity Insurance
Although most health insurance companies in Utah cover maternity related expenses, they often have high deductibles specifically related to maternity.
While it's very important to have a major medical plan that covers catastophic expenses, it's also helpful to have a plan that will help pay your out of pocket expenses for a normal delivery or routine c-section.
| ||||
