We all need some kind of health insurance to protection us if we were to fall ill or get injured some way. So what if you’re going to have a baby? Shouldn’t your baby be covered by insurance? After all, newborns are even more susceptible to illness and injury. You should first get an understanding about newborn health insurance before you go about getting your first baby health insurance quote. The information in this article will help you along your way to getting insurance for your baby.

In 1996, the Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Protection Act (NMHPA) was passed. This law affected the amount of time you and your newborn baby are covered for a hospital stay after childbirth. This law applies to three different types of coverage, self-funded group health plans, fully insured group health plans and individual health insurance policies.

Fully insured group health plans are employment related group plans that provide insurance benefits. Self-funded group health plans are group plans that the employer pays for directly without purchasing health insurance from an issuer. Individual health insurance policies are simply policies that are sold to individuals and are non-employment related.

As a general rule, health insurance issuers and group health plans that are covered under NMHPA cannot limit benefits for a hospital stay that is connected with childbirth to less than forty eight hours after a vaginal birth or ninety six hours after a birth by Cesarean section. However, even though restricted from limiting the length of time spent in a hospital in connection with childbirth, the group health plan or the health insurance issuer do not have to be covered full time in every case. If in consultation with the mother, the attending provider concludes that the mother or the newborn child can be discharged before the forty eight or ninety six hour period, the group plan or insurance issuers does not have to continue covering whichever one is ready for discharge. In order for NMHPA protection to apply to your health insurance coverage, two factors must be present. The benefits under your group health plan or insurance policy must include coverage for hospital stays after childbirth and you must find out how your group health plan provides benefits.

You may be able to get newborn health insurance through Medicare and Medicaid, which are public health plans through which individuals can get health coverage. You can discuss your level of benefits with your Medicare or Medicaid contractor before going out looking for a baby health insurance quote. Whatever plan you have, you must be sure to enroll your newborn within the time frame specified by that plan in order to have your baby added to your policy.