Expectant mom wondering when to switch to family coverage from self coverage?

[Anonymous]

Hi, I am very early on in my pregnancy and I am wondering when I should be switching to family coverage (to include new baby and husband)? Also, any federal employees out there that would recommend one insurance co over another? I currently have Blue Cross Blue Shield Basic Coverage.
Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

You do not have your baby covered until after he / she is born (they won't do it before that / nor would it make much sense to do it before the birth of the baby). Most insurance agencies have you call them within 30 days of the birth and they will post date the coverage to the day of their birth.

Congrats!

[Anonymous]

As a federal employee, your baby will be covered from birth forward. You have 30 days from the date of the birth to submit the paperwork to start the coverage. As to your husband, it is unlikely that you will have a qualifying event that will allow you to add him, so you will most likely have to wait until open enrollment.

[Anonymous]

We have BCBS Standard which is the next step up from Basic. This has the advantage of allowing you to see a specialist w/o a referral. This has always been worth it for us. You will be able to switch to family after the birth of your child. But the PP is correct about your husband. That may have to wait until open enrollment.

[Anonymous]

I thought you had to wait until open enrollment to get DH on your insurance...unless you are newly married and I think you have 30 days.

The baby can't be added until he/she is born and you have 30 days to get your act together and fax in the paperwork. However, don't wait until day 29 because it is waaayyy easier the baby is in the system already especially if there are post-birth complications (NICU, jaundice, necessary prescriptions, etc.). The coverage is retro active and baby will be covered, but I am just saying to make things smoother (we had to see a specialist at week 2 and didn't have an insurance card for DD and it was a nightmare convincing Childrens Hosp. that DD was covered, but we didn't have a card for her yet).

And don't worry, you don't have to add your baby to the dental coverage...yet.

[Anonymous]

As others have said, if you have insurance already, your babe will be covered from the moment s/he appears, even if it's a few days or weeks before you fill out the forms. The birth of your baby will also generate a "bonus" open enrollment period when you can add your husband, change your other elections (don't forget about a dependent care account if you'll use childcare) or even switch to DH's plan if it's cheaper.

The last month of your pregnancy, your HR dept. should give you the proper paperwork to fill out and submit upon Baby's arrival (either back to your office or directly to your insurer). My husband took care of this when we were in the hospital. I'm pretty sure he just faxed it from the nurses' station.

[Anonymous]

As a federal employee, do check with your HR person as departments differ in their policy. My section allows me to turn in the paperwork right before I go on leave and then call in and they will fill in teh due date for you and submit it. I like he fact that I can get it in before I leave and the madness starts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As others have said, if you have insurance already, your babe will be covered from the moment s/he appears, even if it's a few days or weeks before you fill out the forms. The birth of your baby will also generate a "bonus" open enrollment period when you can add your husband, change your other elections (don't forget about a dependent care account if you'll use childcare) or even switch to DH's plan if it's cheaper.

This is my understanding as well. Also check in w/HR about what other benefits you should update when the baby is born (e.g. dental) -- if you don't do it just after the birth, you will have to wait until open season. If you have life insurance through work, don't forget to add DC as a beneficiary -- but HR should be able to tell you all of this.

[Anonymous]

The birth of a baby qualifies as a "life event" which essentially makes it an "open season" for changing up your health insurance. Like the PPs, my understanding is that you will be able to switch to the family plan and add your baby and husband to your coverage. My husband and I currently have BCBS Standard - separately. When our baby is born (I'm 33 weeks now) I will drop my individual coverage, and we will all be on my husband's insurance as a family. You can get the forms ahead of time, fill them out, and have them ready to fax or mail in after the baby is born.

I also prefer the BCBS Standard to the Basic. I think it's worth the extra money, but I hate anything that resembles an HMO or tells you which doctors you can see, so others may disagree.