Medical Insurance In California for Low Income Earners

Getting medical insurance in California when you are already pregnant can be a daunting task. It is strongly recommended that women who wish to be pregnant be insured under a group health plan or an individual plan at least one year to six months before they conceive. However this is not always a reality for every woman. It is estimated that an average of 13 percent of pregnant women in the United States on a yearly basis have no health insurance at all. This can lead to inadequate prenatal care and sometimes disastrous results for both the mother and the newborn.

Another common problem that pregnant women who are uninsured face is that many insurance companies consider pregnancy to be a pre-existing condition and therefore will not insure women once they have become pregnant. One option that women who are uninsured and pregnant can look to is Medicaid which is a program that is funded by the federal government and works as a form of medical insurance in California. Medicaid is there to help low-income earners and it is willing to take on women who are pregnant, regardless of how far along they are. The estimated cost for delivering a baby for a regular pregnancy is between six and eight thousand dollars. This number increases to ten thousand for a cesarean birth and can be even higher for a pregnancy deemed as high risk.

The American Pregnancy Association works to bring information to women who find themselves pregnant and in need of health insurance. The association explains what government funded programs are available as medical insurance in California. For those in the greatest need the two forms of medical insurance in California that are federally funded include, as previously mentioned, Medicaid and WIC.

Medicaid is a federal program that is state-run and can provide pregnant women with the health services they require to get them through their pregnancy and to make it possible for them to deliver a healthy baby. In order to find an office in your area of residence check out Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the web or in your telephone book.

Medical insurance in California also provides additional programs for pregnant women. One such program is Medi-cal. To learn more about Medi-cal contact your local health department or look up local programs by “Health Departments by State” on the Internet.

IC is another federally funded agency that diligently works to help pregnant women. This type of medical insurance in California is worth taking the time to learn more about. WIC works to ensure the health of pregnant women who earn a low income as well as babies and children who are five years of age and younger. Not only do they provide health insurance but they also make sure that no women or child goes without healthy food, dietary supplements such as vitamins and there is also information to be had on the importance of eating nutritionally. WIC also makes referrals to health care professionals as it sees fit.