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Facing Uninsured Pregnancy
You Can Make It Work
By Johnathon Allen
Paradoxically, despite a sustained period of economic growth and low unemployment, the number of Americans without health insurance has increased rather than decreased over the last decade. The Center for Risk Management and Insurance Research at Georgia State University reported that there were 43.1 million adult Americans with no health care coverage in 1997. Considering that the average cost of a hospital birth is around $10,000 (up to $30,000 for surgical delivery), the lack of health insurance is of no small concern to expecting mothers.
"We were really thrilled when we found out that we were pregnant, but the awareness that we have no insurance weighted things down a bit," says expectant mother Kris King of Brooklyn, N.Y. "My husband and I recently started our own business so we don't have coverage through an employer, and because we have a moderately good income, we don't qualify for federal aid. We're sort of stuck in the middle ground."
"Unfortunately, the options for pregnant women who have no health coverage are pretty few in this country," says Mary Anne Curry, a professor at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Ore. and longtime advocate for improving women's health care. "It's kind of pathetic. I've traveled all over the world and found that most every other country, whether developing or modern, has some form of comprehensive health coverage that assures pregnant women a safe and healthy birth experience regardless of their economic status. Medicaid is an option for mothers who meet the low-income requirements, but for middle-income families there are precious few resources available for the uninsured."
Medicaid, which consists of federal funds administered through state agencies, provides health coverage for low-income families. To qualify for Medicaid, families need to earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($31,000 annual income). Almost 60 percent of uninsured Americans live in families that may qualify to receive Medicaid benefits. Parents-to-be can find out if they qualify by contacting their state insurance department. The federal Health Care Financing Administration, which administers Medicaid, also maintains a national information number where callers can speak to a local customer service representative in English or Spanish from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday. The number is 1-800-633-4227.
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