You’re in the first trimester of your pregnancy and feeling well – until a week before your business trip to New York, you start feeling severely nauseated. Your doctor diagnoses you with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe and life-threatening form of morning sickness, and you wind up in the hospital the day before your departure. Is it possible to get reimbursed for a canceled vacation if you have travel insurance?
Yes. Pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and hyperemesis gravidarum are examples of pregnancy conditions that can be covered by Allianz Global Assistance travel insurance. That implies that if you have to cancel or curtail your vacation due to pregnancy issues, your travel insurance may pay you for nonrefundable trip costs. Your disease, accident, or medical condition must be severe enough to cause a reasonable person to cancel their vacation, and a doctor must advise you to do so. Normal morning sickness, for example, would not be a covered reason for a trip cancellation. You’ll need evidence from your doctor if you’re filing a claim for trip cancellation/interruption due to a pregnancy problem.
Allianz Global Assistance’s travel insurance options feature access to 24-hour emergency assistance. If you have a medical emergency or any other problem while traveling, call our hotline or use the TravelSmartTM app to get immediate help. If your plan covers emergency medical care, your insurance company may reimburse you for the cost of emergency medical care you got while traveling for covered pregnancy problems.
Please keep in mind that travel insurance does not cover the possibility of a problem. If you delivered preterm with your first two pregnancies, your doctor may urge you to postpone your planned trip to Paris in the sixth month of your third pregnancy. However, because no complications have been identified, this pregnancy is still considered normal. The trip cancellation would not be covered by travel insurance.
Do I need special travel insurance if pregnant?
An annual travel insurance policy covers you for many journeys throughout the year. It covers you for a year and is ideal for frequent travelers who would otherwise have to buy many single travel insurance policies. Most yearly multi-trip policies will cover you while pregnant because pregnancy isn’t considered a pre-existing medical condition, but we recommend double-checking your policy wording or contact with your travel insurance provider to make sure.
What type of insurance is best for pregnancy?
Your income and whether your (or your spouse’s) company provides health insurance will decide the best health insurance for pregnancy. Employer-provided coverage, ACA plans, and Medicaid are the three types of health insurance policies that provide the most economical options during pregnancy.
Employer-sponsored health care
Employer-provided coverage, either through the mother or her spouse, is the simplest health insurance choice for pregnant women. This is especially beneficial if your employer pays a percentage of your health insurance premiums, lowering your out-of-pocket costs. It’s worth noting that some employer-sponsored health-care plans have a waiting period, usually three months from the start of coverage, during which no benefits are granted. This is to prevent sick people from waiting until they are unwell to apply for health insurance.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) allows you to enroll in a plan after the birth of a child, but it does not allow you to enroll after getting pregnant.
Adult children who are listed as dependents under an employer’s health insurance plan are not covered for pregnancies or their offspring. This could be a problem because you can stay on your parents’ plan until you turn 26. In this instance, looking into Medicaid or marketplace health insurance may be the best health insurance alternative.
Marketplace health insurance
Marketplace health insurance must cover all of the ACA’s essential health benefits, including maternity care. Furthermore, the insurer will not be able to deny coverage due to a preexisting ailment, and there will be no waiting time.
A marketplace insurance may usually only be acquired during your state’s open enrollment period, so you’ll need to plan ahead. If you have a qualifying life event, such as a job loss, you can purchase an ACA plan.
Is pregnancy considered a preexisting condition for travel insurance?
To make sure you’ve done everything you can to protect yourself and your trip, do your research, tell your travel insurance company about any conditions you think might apply, buy your travel insurance plan as soon as possible after paying your initial trip deposit, and familiarize yourself with all the details of your plan before you leave. Understand that this is a complicated aspect of travel insurance, and don’t be scared to ask questions! Here are some frequently asked questions by tourists just like you.
Absolutely! Travelers with pre-existing conditions, as previously stated, will be particularly interested in plans that feature Pre-Existing Condition Waivers. Travelers who require the waiver must act quickly when acquiring their insurance, as all Pre-Existing Condition Waivers are only accessible for a limited time after the first payment is made. There may still be solutions if you are not inside the deadline to be eligible for the waiver. If your last diagnostic test or prescription adjustment was 90 days ago, for example, we might be able to locate a plan that only looks back 60 days.
No, is the quick response. Other parts of the travel insurance plan, such as the quantity of medical coverage available or the policy price, may be affected by age, but the pre-existing condition exclusion is not affected. The travel insurance company will look over the person’s medical records to see if their health issues are stable. It’s possible that these have nothing to do with your age.
Pregnancy is not a pre-existing condition; yet, it is a condition that can be expected. A normal, healthy pregnancy is never covered by a travel insurance policy, even if the pregnancy did not exist at the time the policy was purchased. You may be eligible for trip cancellation or trip interruption coverage if pregnancy issues prevent you from traveling on a doctor’s order.
Can you fly when you are 7 months pregnant?
Commercial plane travel before week 36 of pregnancy is generally regarded safe if you are in good health. Still, if you’re expecting a child, see your doctor before flying.
Is pregnancy a pre-existing condition 2021?
Any physical or mental ailment, including a disability, for which medical advice, diagnosis, care, or treatment was suggested or obtained within the 6-month period ending on your health insurance plan’s enrollment date. Without a diagnosis of an illness or condition, genetic information cannot be treated as a pre-existing condition. Pregnancy is not a pre-existing condition, and pre-existing condition exclusions do not apply to newborns, recently adopted children, or children placed for adoption who enroll within 30 days.
Can I cancel flight due to pregnancy?
Normal pregnancy is generally excluded from all travel insurance coverage, including exclusion language such as “normal pregnancy or consequent childbirth, aside from pregnancy problems.” So, how can travel insurance cover cancellation due to pregnancy if normal pregnancy is clearly excluded from coverage?
Most travel insurance policies expressly state that pregnancy is not a covered reason for cancellation. After all, many women travel without incident during their pregnancies. However, travel cancellation and interruption owing to normal pregnancy difficulties are covered (medical treatment is too).
What’s a ‘complication of normal pregnancy’?
Every travel insurance plan defines this differently, but in general, a complication of pregnancy is any ailment whose diagnosis is unrelated to pregnancy but is adversely affected or caused by it.
This implies that, while the pregnancy itself isn’t covered, you’ll be reimbursed for medical expenses, trip cancellations, and travel disruptions caused by difficulties (up to the plan’s limits) as long as the plan you choose includes ‘complications of pregnancy’ as a covered event.
Here are a few examples of where travel insurance benefits will be paid, depending on the plan:
- You’re admitted to the hospital the day before your vacation to treat acute dehydration induced by morning sickness vomiting.
- You have acute dizziness, fall, and break your wrist while on your ‘babymoon’ in the Bahamas.
These circumstances arose as a result of pregnancy problems and have nothing to do with the pregnancy itself.
Limitations on travel insurance cover for pregnancy
An existing pregnancy is treated as a pre-existing condition by your travel insurance provider in the same way that it is treated as a pre-existing condition by your health insurance provider. Consider the timing: if the insured traveler becomes pregnant before the policy’s effective date, it’s a pre-existing condition.
If you need to make a claim on your travel insurance plan for medical care or cancellation the travel insurance provider will review your medical records to see if the claim was made because of a pre-existing condition. If you’re already pregnant when you get travel insurance and want to be able to file a claim for cancellation or medical care while traveling, you’ll need to get a plan that covers pre-existing conditions.
If a travel insurance plan is purchased within a specified number of days of the traveler’s initial trip purchase, it may automatically cover pre-existing conditions. Otherwise, you can add pre-existing coverage to your standard plan as an upgrade.
How do travelers cover trip cancellations due to pregnancy?
If you’re planning on getting pregnant or suspect you might be, find out before you buy travel insurance. If you need to file a claim and the travel insurance company discovers you were pregnant before your plan began, your claim will be denied due to a pre-existing condition.
Can you cancel a flight because of pregnancy?
Travel insurance coverage typically exclude cancellation of a trip due to pregnancy or childbirth. However, some policies provide Trip Cancellation coverage if the traveler becomes pregnant after the policy’s effective date or to attend the birth of a family member, and some policies provide coverage in the event of pregnancy difficulties.
Pregnancy isn’t usually included as a covered cause to cancel a trip in most travel insurance policies. If you were pregnant at the time the policy was purchased, this also includes childbirth.
There are certain insurance that cover pregnant issues; however, difficulties are rarely defined and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Some policies provide coverage for cancellation due to a normal pregnancy if the pregnancy began after the insurance was purchased. If you become pregnant or have to attend a family member’s birth, policies with this coverage may cover cancellation.
Does travel insurance cover labor and delivery?
We’ve lately received some inquiries from readers who want to know if their travel insurance policy covers giving birth as part of the medical coverage.
Because the birth is an expected event, a pregnant traveler in an advanced stage of pregnancy is unlikely to get travel insurance coverage for a normal birth. Childbirth is not covered unless it is a unique medical scenario, as travel insurance only covers unforeseen events.
Pregnancy is specifically excluded from all travel insurance coverage, using excluding language such as:
“other than difficulties of pregnancy, pregnancy, labor, or elective abortion;”
It’s critical to realize that travel insurance coverage for pregnant women is contingent on the conditions. To begin, the pregnancy must occur after the effective date of the travel insurance policy, or it will be considered a pre-existing medical condition.
Premature labor is thus classified as a complication of pregnancy, which is normally covered by a travel insurance plan’s medical coverage, and so medical treatment is covered up to the plan’s limits. The following are the best guidelines to follow when purchasing travel insurance to cover childbirth:
- If the traveler finds out she’s pregnant after making plans and has already acquired travel insurance, she’ll need to study the plan’s pregnancy requirements as well as the coverage for medical problems.
- If the traveler is already pregnant and wants to buy travel insurance to cover any medical issues, she should make sure the policy covers pre-existing medical conditions (an upgrade may be necessary and there are timing restrictions involved).
- If the traveler becomes pregnant after the policy’s effective date, she should double-check that she has adequate medical coverage in case something goes wrong while she’s on the road.
To summarize, you can receive travel insurance coverage for emergency medical care related to pregnancy difficulties, but a normal pregnancy that is progressing normally even giving birth is not covered.
Complexity of the Pregnancy and Delivery
You have little control over the complexity of your pregnancy and delivery. While your preference may be for a vaginal delivery, circumstances may necessitate a C-section. According to Truven’s research, cesarean deliveries can cost up to 50% more than vaginal births.
It’s critical to know exactly what your health insurance plan covers and what it doesn’t. Apart from short-term plans, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and the 2010 Affordable Care Act have made it extremely rare for plans to refuse to cover pregnancy and newborn care. One wrinkle, though, is the requirement for maternity care, which applies to pregnant women covered by their parents’ insurance. If you’re still on your parents’ plan, double-check to see if your maternity and delivery are covered.
Network Types
When starting a family, think about the plan network possibilities available to you. Because having a baby is considered a qualifying life event for both you and your child, you can receive health insurance immediately after delivery rather than waiting until the late-year open enrollment period. Once your kid is born, getting health insurance for him or her is simple. But keep in mind that this only applies after you’ve given birth; pregnancy is not a qualified life event. So, if you’re planning to start a family, make sure you sign up for health insurance during the fall open enrollment period. Whether you have health insurance and suspect you will become pregnant soon, do some research to determine if switching policies during your plan’s open enrollment period can save you money. The following are some network options:
The monthly premiums for PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plans are normally greater, but the deductibles are lower. Copays for normal office visits, medicines, and other expenses are also included. These plans provide you the most freedom in selecting the doctor and hospital where you wish to deliver your baby, which is highly essential to many expecting mothers.
HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) plans are typically less expensive and often cover the majority of pregnancy-related expenses. Your options for suppliers, on the other hand, are more limited. For example, you must stay inside your HMO network and obtain a formal recommendation to see a specialist from your primary care physician your gatekeeper. An HMO may be the way to go if cost savings are a priority at this point and you’re willing to deliver in any nearby hospital with a doctor designated by your plan.
HDHPs (High Deductible Health Plans) are plans with greater deductibles in exchange for cheaper monthly premiums, as the name implies. There are no copays, thus a doctor’s appointment or prescription will cost the patient the whole price. These plans are frequently connected to a Health Savings Account, allowing you to put money aside before taxes to cover the greater cost of doctor visits and drugs. High deductible plans are not frequently suggested for pregnancies because once you enter the hospital, you will almost certainly be faced with costs that will force you to pay your entire high deductible out of pocket. For many people, that’s an unappealingly pricey option at this point in their lives as their family grows.
Your Chosen Hospital and OB GYN
First, double-check that the doctor and facility you wish to deliver at are in your plan’s provider network. Don’t assume that because a facility is in-network, the doctor is as well. Your Ob Gyn may have a contract with the hospital of your choice for delivery, but not with your insurance provider. Physicians and hospitals usually bill for services separately. If your doctor isn’t part of your plan’s network, you’ll be slapped with a slew of unexpected costs that you’ll have to pay out of pocket.
Second, keep in mind that charges vary greatly from one hospital to the next and from one doctor to the next, making it practically impossible to predict how much you will be paid. According to a research conducted by the University of California, women in the state could be charged anything from $3,296 to $37,227 for a typical vaginal delivery. The cost of a C-section ranged from $8,312 to $71,000. Furthermore, discounts on these invoiced costs differ significantly from one insurance carrier to the next, thus clouding the picture of what you might anticipate to pay.
Your best bet is to shop around for the greatest deal with multiple hospitals well in advance of your due date. It’s possible to receive a contract from some hospitals that specifies your expected expenditures and, in some cases, a longer payment period. It’s always a good idea to start by phoning the hospital’s ombudsman and asking to be directed to the appropriate person. If you are unable or unwilling to negotiate, find out how much each hospital in your region charges. Some doctors are allowed to practice at multiple hospitals. So, find out where your doctor has contracts to practice, and then see which of those hospitals offers you the greatest financial deal for delivering your child under your health plan.
Overlapping Plan Years
Because most insurance plans run on a calendar year, your deductible, co-insurance, and out-of-pocket expenses will reset to zero on January 1. What is the significance of this? Let’s pretend your due date is at the end of January. Because you’ll have received the majority of your prenatal treatment in the previous year, anything you’ve paid out-of-pocket won’t apply to your January delivery’s out-of-pocket expenditures. To minimize costs to a single calendar year, consider conceiving around Valentine’s Day.