In Arkansas, adoptive parents are allowed to help birth mothers with their medical costs. In fact, the medical expenses are often a large proportion of the costs for an adoption, especially with an infant adoption. So it might seem like a great idea to add an expectant mom to your health insurance to cover her prenatal and delivery care. Is it in fact a good idea to provide health insurance for birth mothers?
Health insurance for birth mothers
Good idea or not, it generally can’t be done directly. Unless an unrelated person is your dependent and a member of your household, you generally cannot add them to your own heath insurance policy or buy one for them in Arkansas. In fact, there are restrictions on health insurance for adult sons and daughters.
However, adoptive parents are allowed to cover medical costs for birth mothers. When you are chosen by an expectant mother as the adoptive parents for her baby, you can make agreements with her about her medical expenses. She may have health insurance through her workplace or the government marketplace, or she may be eligible for Medicaid. Your adoption professional can help sort out the details.
You can then cover her out-of-pocket costs, which may include premiums for health insurance.
Health insurance for babies
Adopted children are, by law, covered just as biological children are under their adoptive parents’ health insurance plans. However, they cannot be insured before they are born, or before the adoption becomes final. The coverage can often be backdated to the baby’s birth.
Realistically, insurance plans vary and the details may be different from one plan to another and one company to another. The costs can also vary not only from one hospital to another but also from one baby to another. It’s important to talk with your insurance provider to get the details. The hospital where the birth takes place can often help you get a clear understanding of the situation.
Again, you can cover the costs of the baby’s healthcare before the insurance coverage begins.
Medical costs
It can be difficult to predict medical costs for an adoption. Factors affecting the costs include not only the medical choices the expectant mom makes, but also her health and the child’s health. Unforeseen complications can make a difference. Her financial position also has an impact. Costs for healthy food, exercise classes, and other non-medical health support may reduce her medical costs but must also be factored in.
The agreement you and your adoption professionals work out with the child’s mom plays a part in the medical costs for which you are responsible, too. An experienced adoption professional can help make certain that the position is clear so you can be prepared. Contact Heimer Law for a free consultation.
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