View Single Post
  #5  
Old April 27th 04, 01:47 PM
Donna Metler
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default denied health ins because of miscarriage?


"Leinweber" toreply: wrote in message
news:jEjjc.27544$cF6.1230505@attbi_s04...
Hi all...

I have posted a couple of times in the last few days. Thank you for your
replies. Obviously we are scrambling to get things taken care of.

I'm almost 5 weeks pregnant, and my husband lost his job (on his birthday)

2
days before we found out about this pregnancy. We absolutely in no way

can
afford the cobra plan, and are now applying for individual insurance (just
for me because of this pregnancy). But I have had a miscarraige in the
past... My question is... Will that miscarriage (4 months ago) mean I
could be denied health insurance? All I've heard is that they can't hold
pregnancy as a pre-existing condition.

Thanks.
: ) D in Oregon


I don't think they usually deny health insurance for that reason, however, I
was denied disability for pregnancy because I had HELLP syndrome, so they
may rider you for specific complications. Miscarriage is usually almost a
medical non-event, so it's not really expensive to the insurance company.
Unfortunately, the safe motherhood act, which would have not only required
insurance companies to provide coverage for complicated pregnancies, but
required employers to give extended leave for them, got tabled when the 2nd
gulf war started, so I believe legally they could, but I don't think they
will for a simple miscarriage. After all, to their point of view, it is
probably cheaper to pay for a miscarriage early than for the full prenatal
care and delivery, not to mention adding a baby to a family plan.