Medical aid for already pregnant women

This thread is a bit outdated so I feel that mothers need to be aware that the situation has changed. I have had the experience first hand in 2007 with my wife but fortunately Profmed came to the rescue. A few months back a friend's wife has the same problem. These days no medical aid is as flexible any more.

The situation now in 2012 is that a medical aid will not cover a women who is already pregnant at the time of joining. Meaning her pregnancy costs and delivery costs are not covered for that pregnancy. It is such a contentious issue in this country that the National Consumer Commission in SA is now looking into this matter (article was on News24 recently). The big medical aids are stating their position as to why they will not accept pregnant women. Anyway you can read more about this on this article www.vitacare.co.za/joining-a-medical-aid...er-falling-pregnant/

The reason why I am commenting though is that even if you are not going to be covered for this pregnancy, do not let in detract from signing up for cover immediately. Its not just about your delivery costs but consider what will happen if you have a prem baby or there are congenital medical conditions. Neonatal ICU is super expensive and care can exceed R3,000 a day for your baby. If you have signed up for medical aid, your baby is covered immediately upon birth and so these neonatal costs are therefore covered. So look at the medical aid issue in this regard and not just the fact that you are losing on out on cover for pregnancy and childbirth.

I have to agree with Anida... I did not have a steady income when I fell pregnant the 2nd time round. I was also not on a medical aid. My gynae told me I was not ovulating, and would therefore not fall pregnant easily - that it would take a year. Within a month, however, I fell pregnant - this happened when we applied to go back onto our old MA, but they rejected us for having a debit order that bounced once so we were without one for another few weeks - and by then we knew we were pregnant and asked each one if they would accept us, which they wouldn't. but we eventually came right with profmed, as I stated in the previous post.

With my first child we planned to one day fall pregnant and went onto Resolution, but we cancelled it when they didn't cover her ICU account of R 15 000 when she ate a mothball... and then I fell pregnant with baby #2.

I feel for any expectant mom who is desperate to get onto a medical aid, as I know how it feels. Sometimes it really is unexpected. And it's nice to be able to go onto a forum and ask the experts. One really shouldn't judge.

O, yes thank you Vamo.

hi Ladies,

sorry for the post, i could not find an posts regarding the topic when I searched.

And yes i also agree, but remember there are women out there that does not get a steady income and that dont plan to get pregnant at all, infact my friend was told by a docter that they would never be able to have children at all and they are very poor too.

So sorry once again. I am just trying to help someone who realy needs help. I also am on medical aid and have been since before my lo's birth 3 years ago.

No need to apologise RM - I completely agree with you! And your comparison to household insurance is spot-on! Hubby and I have always been on MA - we will be married 7 years in Oct. Two years ago when we started to TTC we upgraded our plan.

In this country where human rights are everything, they will probably get it right that you never have a waiting period for any disease/condition or pay penalties if you have never been on MA. That will really cripple private health care, unless they force the pregnant woman to remain a member for at least 3- 5 years.

I had not seen the report.

But I can only think it would cripple MA's if pregnant women waited around until they were pregnant and then went to get a MA.

Seriously, not preaching.

K and I started talking about possibly/maybe/could we/sort of have a conversation about having a baby.

I went on to MA in 1998 because the "idea" had occurred to us as a possibility.

Much negotiating (him with me) later we decided to have a child - in 2001.

I just get annoyed at this total "why won't a medical aid take a pregnant woman" thing.

Well, why did the woman not get MA before?

It is a bit like being robbed, then going and taking out household insurance and expecting them to cover the lost flat screen tv, and the camera.

It is just non-sensicale.

But, I did go off like a frkn lunatic .... sorry for that.

Sorry Ilse I had a bit of a sh&t fit yesterday ..... er bit being the understatement.