Posts Tagged ‘health care expenses’

Having a baby can be a very exciting, emotional, and exhausting experience for a family, and while most parents remember a lot of the preparation details — such assembling the crib and installing child-safety locks — updating their insurance may not be the first thing that comes to mind.  Pictured to the left is our own Robin Hawkins and her new baby, Reese. 

Whether you’re expecting, a new parent, or you know someone who is, it’s important to have the right insurance. The Turner Agency wants you and your growing family to be protected from all life’s possibilities, so we’re providing you an insurance checklist – no assembly required! – for expecting parents.

 Health Insurance

1. When you find out you’re pregnant, make sure your health insurance plan covers prenatal and maternity health costs. (An employer with 15 or more employees is required by federal law to provide coverage for pregnancy-related expenses.)

 2. Check your policy to find out if you need preauthorization for certain prenatal or maternity health costs, such as ultrasounds and amniocentesis.

 3. Call your health insurance company to ensure your obstetrician, doctor, and/or midwife and hospital or birthing center are both in-network. If they’re out-of-network, there may be additional charges for your health-care expenses.

 4.  Contact your insurance provider to find out how to add your new baby to your insurance plan. 

Life/Disability Insurance

1. If you and your spouse don’t already have a life insurance policy in place, a new baby is a good time to take out a policy. Most parents have a term life insurance policy, which usually is the least expensive option and provides coverage for a fixed amount of time at a set premium. Usually the beneficiary of this type of policy is a spouse.  However, single parents may want to list a child or a family member.

 2. If you or your spouse become disabled and one of you is the primary breadwinner for the household, you may want to consider long-term disability insurance. This type of insurance will provide your family with financial support if you are disabled and cannot work. Some employers offer this coverage, but you should check to make sure you’re covered and find out if you have enough coverage.

 Homeowner’s Insurance

A baby comes with a lot of new stuff, which means you probably need to update your homeowner’s insurance policy to includ enough coverage to replace everything in your nursery. If your new bundle of joy doesn’t have a state-of-the-art crib or fancy diaper genie, you may not need to increase your coverage, but you should check with The Turner Agency or your Trusted Choice independent insurance agent to find out.

Auto Insurance

Unlike other types of insurance, which go up with a new addition, your auto insurance will likely stay the same. However, a major life milestone, such as having a baby, can be an indicator of increased responsibility, which can actually lead to a decrease in rates. If you’re expecting or a new parent, contact The Turner Agency or your Trusted Choice independent insurance agent to find out if your rates can be reduced.

 If you have any questions, need help getting coverage, or simply want to double-check your insurance policies, we or your Trusted Choice independent insurance agent are happy to help … as long as you don’t ask us to baby-sit! (Well, Anne Turner would probably accept…)