Normally a person must be added to an insurance policy before they are covered. But If a health insurance policy for the mother covers a hospital stay for childbirth then they are required by the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act of 1996 to provide newborn health insurance during that hospital stay.

There are minimum stays required by the law. For a normal delivery, the stay must be at least 48 hours from the time of the delivery. If the mother had a cesarean then the stay must be at least 96 hours. If the patient and doctor agree the mother and baby can be released early.

A newborn can be added to a parent's policy within 30 days and the coverage is retroactive to the day of birth. Also the newborn health insurance cannot be limited due to a preexisting condition. If you don't enroll the newborn in the first 30 days an insurer my make you wait until the next open enrollment period which is usually once a year. Apply for a social security number as soon as your child is born as you insurance company will want this information.

Most state laws require that the newborn child be added to the health insurance policy even if they have a birth defective, illness, or have sustained an injury.

If a newborn child is an adopted child and not born to the insured mother then the same rules apply to the baby and a special enrollment period is created by the adoption. This means that the child should be added to an existing policy within 30 days of the placement for adoption or the date of adoption.

If you must buy health insurance coverage for a newborn then ask some important questions. Confirm that the child will be covered at birth. Some insurers will not cover a baby until they are one year old. Find out if immunizations and well baby checkups are covered. If you have a particular pediatrician you want to take your child to then verify that she is an approved provider. If the policy doesn't cover immunizations you may be able to get those free or inexpensively at your local health department.

If your employer doesn't offer you a health insurance policy and you don't qualify for Medicaid then find out if your state has a health insurance plan for children. You may be able to pay no premium or an affordable premium and get health insurance for your newborn.

Getting the right newborn health insurance for your child will help you to provide the right medical care for your baby and give you peace of mind as well