I am having a home birth and want to find out if my health company is obligated to pay. When I call them, they give me no answers. (Empire Blue Cross) Someone told me there was a law that in NY all companies were obligated to pay for home birth.

 

  • mbrcatz17 9:07 am on March 15, 2010

    Nope. And here in TX, they aren’t, either. I looked into it – wanting a home birth with my last baby.

    See, they have "in network" providers. My insurance company – Cigna – just doesn’t HAVE any in network midwives (in HOUSTON, TX, the 4th largest city in the USA!). They WOULD pay for a midwife in a birthing center – just not in a home. Unfortunately, here in TX, birthing centers are not allowed to do vbacs.

    It’s a racket. They COULD have paid $3000 for all my prenatal and delivery – instead, they’ve got bills for over $15,000 for a C-section again, as the hospitals don’t like to wait for women to labor (time is money!).

  • robert w 9:07 am on March 15, 2010

    due to legal hassles NO.
    obligation NO
    u can find other options.
    hospital births are better for number of legal medical reasons

  • Doctor Foo 9:07 am on March 15, 2010

    a lot of insurance companies are national companies therefore state an local laws don’t apply.

  • Suzanne 9:07 am on March 15, 2010

    Mandated benefits differ by state, so I recommend that you contact the NY insurance commissioner’s office to inquire. In Maryland, this is a mandated benefit so it might be in New York, too.

    HOWEVER — if you are insured by a self-funded ERISA plan, the policy will not comply with NY laws; in that case, it will comply with Federal law and there is no mandate for that benefit.

    The only way you’ll know the answer to your question is by reading the policy or certificate of insurance. Read the "Exclusions," "Covered Services" and "Maternity Services" sections very carefully.