When to Add Baby on Insurance and When to Find a Ped.

Updated on February 20, 2008
J.B. asks from Huntley, IL
63 answers

I am due in Sept. I know that I have a while before my baby will be here, but when do I need to add the baby on to our health insurance? Also when is a good time to find a pediatrician.

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I.V.

answers from Chicago on

Congratulation. Usually the baby is added when you give birth at the hospital. The hospital staff normally does this. (at least mine did)

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C.L.

answers from Chicago on

You can't add the baby until he/she is born, and you usually have 30 days to do so (so you don't have to call the minute the baby is born!).

As for a pediatrician, I made some appts to consult with the doctors, probably a month or two before i was due.

good luck!

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S.W.

answers from Chicago on

It doesnt hurt to start looking into a ped now. I work at a peds office and we offer a getting to know you once a month in each office- I am sure many offices offer the same. I chose mine on recomendation of my OB- Dr. Kaufman. After going there for 3 years I started working there. I lobed them.

As far as your insurance I dont believe you can add the baby until after birth- when the baby is born they as you who your ped is and then call your ped- once your baby is born and on discharge from the hospital you call your ped and tell them you are a new pt and they sign you right up. You usually need to go in 2 days to make sure baby is back up to birth weight and not jaundice. etcc. When looking for a ped I would ask how they work sick calls... if they keep infants away from sick kids- offer seperate physcial times from sick times. Hope this helps! Congratulations!

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M.P.

answers from Chicago on

J.,

Call your insurance and see what they tell you. We had to call within 30 days of his birth (I think my husband called them from the hospital). I interviewed a few pediatricians in my 2nd trimester. There are pediatrician "interview" suggestions on the internet (like Baby Center.com). If you have things that are important to you (office hours, number of pediatricians, vacination schedules) you can find out about that in an interview. Good luck!
M.

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T.K.

answers from Muncie on

Most insurances give you 30 days after your baby's birth to add them. However, you should check with your own carrier to find out for sure.
You should also make arrangements before your baby's birth for a doctor because the pediatrician will come into the hospital shortly after birth to give your new bundle a check up. If you don't have a selected doctor, the doctor on call will do the exam.

N.P.

answers from Chicago on

It is never too early to start researching a pediatrian. In fact now might be a better time to call for "get-to-know-you-visit" with the pediatrician because the offices tend to book up during summer months for "school prep" visits.

As far as adding your child to your insurance, when you are in the hospital and your baby is delivered, the hospital basically bills any medical needs to the mom's insurance. We actually brought written notice and instructed numerous hospital workers/staff that our children (I had twins) should be added to not my insurance but my husband's and go figure, they didn't get it so it was a nightmare for us. Typically, you'd have to verify with your insurance carrier, you have 30 days from the day your child was born to add him/her to your insurance. And that insurance coverage will start from the day he/she was born.

Congrats!

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E.L.

answers from Chicago on

Pediatrician - any time is fine. Good to check early to see if your insurance is accepted. You may want to think about how big the group is (Bigger is easier to get appointment but less chance you'll see the same pediatrician each visit). Also, find out how they handle sick visits (is it easy to get in to be seen). And if you are a working-mom, do they have weekend hours/late hours on weekdays?

Insurance - If I remember correctly, you're supposed to add your child within 30 days of birth. If you call the insurance company, they'll tell you what you're supposed to do & may even give you a number to call (you can leave it in your wallet & call it after the baby is born). *** BUT, some insurance companies want to know you're pregnant in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy as sort of a pre-approval for your eventual hospital stay. I had some $500 charge because I didn't pre-inform them of my impending delivery within the first 12 weeks. Ridiculous, but part of the rules, I guess.

Good luck!

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L.A.

answers from Chicago on

It's never to early to start looking for a good pediatrician. Concerning your ins. you usually want to do that within 30 days of your child's birth

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C.C.

answers from Chicago on

Hi! My mom works in medical billing and this is also a question Ijust asked me insurance(since all are a bit different). I was told by both I have 30 days from birth to add my new addition to the insurance. That is how it worked last time when my daughter was born.

Also you want to make sure the Ped you choose does attend the hospital you are delivering at.

good luck!

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D.I.

answers from South Bend on

I would add the baby to your insurance right away because the baby will be due for a two week checkup with his or her doctor. You should look for a pediatrician now. Don't wait to do this. When the time comes everything will already be taken care of and you wont have to worry about trying to get things done at the last minute. D.

I am a 30 yr. old mother of 3 boys ages 10,7, and 4.

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H.H.

answers from Chicago on

you add the baby when he/she is born...i would start looking at around 5-6 months if you plan to interview several different ones...i made the mistake of just assuming that taking my nb son to my family dr was ok...it was a nightmare and then i was so pressured to find him a good pediatrician, which didn't make me very happy...i am with an OK pediatrician now...we've been there twice and i'm still not sure i want to continue...my pt is, pick one that you really like and are going to stay with for a long time BEFORE your child is born...there are checklists of questions to ask and things to observe in the waiting room, etc, online for you to bring with to the visits...hope this helps! good luck!

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L.Z.

answers from Chicago on

I do believe you can't add the newborn on to your insurance until it is born.Check with you insurance company. Any time now you should talk to others, friends,relatives,your Dr. for reccomendations for a Ped. You should make a decision before the child is born,so you can make a visit to talk with them. Good Luck!!!!

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A.G.

answers from Chicago on

You can't add a baby until you acutally have a birth date, but I suggest doing it right away. I know you will have twenty other things on your mind after you have the baby, but my pediatrician has a 1-week and a 3-week follow up visit that you have to go to. I know in the long run you can wait the 30 days (depending on your insurance) but if you add the baby right away you can avoid having bills sent to your house and the phone calls about how you added the child after the doctor's visits. It's a hassle personally, trying to get the insurance to pay a claim when they didn't even know the baby existed when the office visit took place.
Second, pick the pediatrician BEFORE you have the baby. I had my first daughter at Edwards and the pediatrician is required to release the baby from the hospital. If you don't have one picked out, they can assign you one that in on call, but it's always nice for the pediatrician to get to know the child right from the get go.

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M.H.

answers from Chicago on

First of all, congratulations!

I didn't know that my son had to be put on my insurance wihtin one month of his birth...I had almost missed it. Which would have meant that he would not have any coverage until Jan 1, 2008. UGH! Anyway, check with your insurance company.

I found my pediatrician about 3 month before my son was born. If you are located on the north side of the city, I would give you the name of the group I go to. The funny thing is, the ped I selected, (based on a referral) has not met my son yet, and my son is almost 9 months old.

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J.C.

answers from Fort Wayne on

Hello! The best time to find a pediatrician is BEFORE you have the baby. That way you can really take your time and go in and visit different offices. Also, your pediatrician will come into the hospital after the baby's born and exam him/her, and if it's a boy, will perform the circumcism. Normally, you pick your doctor, fill out the paperwork they give you, and have them on your list of calls to make from the hospital. Or, the nurses will call for you.

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S.C.

answers from Chicago on

This is very simple, you ask your/your spouse's employer for a form called a CHANGE OF LIFE FORM. This is to be filled out to add or remove a person onto the insurance program. It's effective immediately and will cover from date of application back 30 days to the date of the event. Events covered are marriage, birth, divorce and death. So like everyone said, you have 30 days and not 1 day more. And again like everyone said, just do it immediately. I actually called my employer from the hospital when my son was 2 days old and did it right over the phone. You won't know your child's social security # but that's ok, you will add it on when it's made available to you.

Best of luck with that new baby!!!

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S.O.

answers from Chicago on

Your baby should automatically be added to your insurance when it is born, check with your insurance administrator. As for a pediatrician, your doctor should be able to refer you or ask your friends with children who they would recommend and their experience with that pediatrician.

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M.L.

answers from Chicago on

Those are both very good questions.
If you have a life insurance policy already, you can have your child added to your insurance policy when he/she is born in case of an accident. Call your insurance to see if you can do that. If you do not have a policy, you can purchase one and have your child added to yours. Be sure to look into term insurance compared to whole life. Currently we are switching our insurance policies and our mortgage to Primerica, there is an office located in Joliet on 310 Hammes.If you'd like more info you could contact Rachel Segvich.

Most new moms do not have a Pediatric doctor right away. The best way to go is word to mouth. Your baby will be checked by a pediatrician before they leave the hospital. If you do not have one, the hospital will assign one to give the baby a check up. I love my pediatric office. I use Will County Medical Group in Joliet on Hammes. All the peds in that office are great!They also have other doctors, a quick care, xrays, blood tech, obgyn, anything you can think of. I hope this info is helpful:)

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B.H.

answers from Chicago on

We found a pediatrican early as it took a load off our minds knowing we had someone already...you probably have the 30 day window retroactive insurance plan to add your baby to your insurance policy.

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M.K.

answers from Chicago on

I dealt with insurance for 5 years. So I can tell you that you don't need to put your baby on your insurance until after he/she is born. Most insurance companies give you one month from the time the baby is born to call them and tell them about the baby.
Most insurance companies will deny all claims for the hospital stay and first Dr. visit due to the fact in their eyes the baby doesn't exist. You will get bills from the Dr.s office and the hospital for him/her. Don't panic, its normal. Once your child is activated on your insurance just call the drs office and hospital and they will put the claim through again.

As for the pediatrician, I called my insurance company for some referrals,asked some moms that I knew and then I met with a few of the Drs. I did this about 2-3 months before my son was born.
If you find a few you want to meet with you could always ask for opinions here on mamacource.

Good luck to you!

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J.P.

answers from Chicago on

My work told me to call the day my daughter was born to add her to our health ins. I would look for a pediatrician a couple months before your due date. Cuz, what happens if you had an early delivery. You want to be prepared.

Congratulations.

J.

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D.T.

answers from Indianapolis on

For insurrance, call your insurrance company and ask now. Many give you 30 days after the baby is born to add him/her. However, there are plenty that allow only 15 days and some are 60 days. The method of adding them (website, phone call, faxed records, etc) also varies from company to company.

For a pediatrician, you want to start looking while pregnant. Ask your mom friends (if you don't have any yet, join a local mothers' groups like mothersandmore.com). Call and narrow down your list to 3 or 4 and then call to set up appointments for interviews. Then make your decision. You want to have it decided before you give birth. The best way to find a good pediatrician is to simply ask around to find one recommended by other moms who've taken their kids there for years.

When you check into the hospital during labor you'll tell them the name of your pediatrician. The hospital will call their office when your baby is born and he/she will come give the baby his/her first exam within a few hours of being born and everyday you're in the hospital and will give the final OK for baby to leave. You'll also take the baby to the doc office for the first well baby exam when he/she is 1 week old and 1 month old -- so you don't have much time after baby is born to find a doc.

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T.W.

answers from Chicago on

Hi J.,
The baby will be added to your insurance when they are born. As far as finding a pediatrician, start looking many months before you have the baby, that way you can investigate them and really look into their practice as this is very important as you are trusting them to make sure your baby is healthy or when they get sick, you will want to be comfortable with them. So I would start as soon as you can, that way it will give you ample time to find a good one that YOU are comfortable with.

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C.P.

answers from Terre Haute on

You need to do it as soon as the baby is born.

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J.N.

answers from Chicago on

Hey J., I'm due on the 6th May and I've selected the Pediatrician practice and registered that with the hospital where I will be having my baby. My other son is already a patient of the pediatric practice. The practice I've selected normally send the doctor that is on call during that period. Once the baby is born you can be more selective about exactly who you wish to be the baby's permanent doctor.

On the insurance - I've also researched this. Normally you add the baby on the day when he/she is born, or if this is not possible, a day after. This is considered a life event and therefore cover will usually be backdated.

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N.G.

answers from Chicago on

Congrats! Once the baby is born is when you usually add him/her, then wait for the birth certificate so you can provide them with it. Most insurance plans give you 30 days to do so. It's never too soon to shop for a good Pediatrician. Depending on your insurance again, you may need to use one associated with the hospital and switch later. Some plans let you use any Ped. It takes time to find a good one. Ask your friends, family, other moms, check websites...and try to interview them or call the office to find out about their philosophy to see if it matches what you are looking for in a doc. While at it, do research on vaccines too!

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C.C.

answers from Chicago on

Call your insurance company, it's usually right after the baby is born, figure out a way to remember! And the sooner you find a pediatrician you like, the better.

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A.M.

answers from Chicago on

you can't add baby to your insurance until they are born. I know that isnt very convenient but that is how it works. You can call your insurance company now and see if they have a form to send in or whether you just call. what this generally means is that if your docs send the bills for baby in very quickly, they will all reject the first time and then get rebilled.

For a pediatrician, you need to find one for when baby is in the hospital. So you need to find one that is attached to the hospital that you intend to deliver at. Your obstetrician should be able to give you a recommendation. I would start working on that now as it is something you can do early. The pediatrician will need to know your due date etc and usually the hospital will also need this info for their files. Your pediatrician or one of the pediatricians in his/her team will check on your baby in the hospital and will clear him or her for discharge.

You might also get a pregnancy book like "the Pregnancy Bible" This gives a lot of info on what to do when.

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A.H.

answers from Indianapolis on

Congratulations!!
You can let your insurance company know your expected due date, just so they are aware, but you have to wait to add them on until the baby is born, b/c they will need the exact DOB & then once you get the baby's SS # they will need that also. As far as covering the birth, you are already covered & they should cover all baby's expenses regardless, but you should double check your exact coverage. My dtr & I were covered at 80/20 for most things, but they also picked up 100% of some of her bils.

You should also add them to your life ins. policy if you already have one. But again, you need the baby's SS # before you can do that.

I would start looking for a ped around 6-7 mths, that way you have time to go & meet them & find out if they are even accepting new pts.

Good luck & congrats again!
Angie

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J.C.

answers from Chicago on

Hey J.,

Congratulations on your baby. Ins. companies won't allow you to add your baby until it is born and you have a birth certificate to show. As far as finding a Pediatrician I would say word of mouth is the best advertising. See if anyone you know who has kids is happy with their kids doctor. If not maybe your OB doctor can refer someone to you. I hope this helps and GOOD LUCK.

J.

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E.W.

answers from Chicago on

I'm sure others will respond--or already have--but in most cases you can't add the baby until after it's born (within the first few days of birth) and as for a pediatrician, most ob-gyns require you to have that lined up by the eighth month of pregnancy or so (or earlier) so that they can be contacted and come to see the baby within the first day or two of birth.

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J.

answers from Chicago on

i found my ped thru a neighbor friend, he was not part of the hosp i delivered. The nurses found a ped group that was on my insurance and they did the hosp check then i went and took her to her actual ped a week later we still have him even after we moved away i am willing to drive for him he is so wonderful where are you located

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M.C.

answers from Chicago on

We found a pediatrician before I gave birth, but our ped was on the southside and I delivered up north. The point being that not every pediatrician will come to see the baby in the hospital if they are not affiliated with it in some way - some will say that the hospital provided ped is fine at first and then to just call and set up a wellness visit for a week or two after birth (in fact, almost every ped I talked to in advance said that). Also, for emergencies when you first get the baby home, the hospital will also give you an emergency ped number to call if you need to until you see your own ped for the first time.

Well, it turned out that the pediatrician who did my son's circumcision was so great that we switched over to his family practice that is up north without a second thought. Now my husband and I go there too. Even though it is a little bit of trip for us, it is well worth it! It is a wonderful practice and the docs are great. I've never taken my son in to see a doc and not been happy. My husband has always been pleased with his visits too! They're wonderful! If you'd like the name of their practice, I'll gladly send you the info!

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S.P.

answers from Chicago on

Hi J.!
Baby is covered under you for the first 30 days after birth - so you have some time after birth to do the change of life forms with your insurance. I did it within a week of our son being born.
Pediatricians - we searched through our network and recommendations and narrowed it down to 4 practices. We met with a doctor or nurse at each practice -- one practice even had a seminar one night for expectant parents explaining about it. We did this at around 6 months of pregnancy. So by 71/2 months we had someone picked. They were affiliated with the hospital we delivered in - so it made things much easier.
Good luck!
S. in Lisle

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H.R.

answers from Indianapolis on

Hi J.,

We had a month window after the baby was born to add baby to our insurance. I believe you can't add baby to insurance until after the birth. Also, the hospital called our insurance company with 48 hours after our daughter's birth to give them information. Our insurance would have penalized us $1000 if we didn't. Kind of screwy so I would check with your HR director or insurance directly to find out for sure what they specifically request for adding the baby.

We found a pediatrician when we were around 5 months pregnant. Our OBGYN gave us a list of pediatricians in town and we did some research. Then we had an appointment to meet with them and ask questions, etc. We took the baby for her first visit/check up when she was a few days old.

Congratulations!
H. R.

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L.S.

answers from Fort Wayne on

You should have some kind of instruction from the ins. company. Most will want baby added within 30 days. Ours wanted a call as soon as the baby was born, then as soon as a SS card was issued, I had to take it in. You can start looking for a pediatrician as soon as you want. But you'll want one by the time baby gets here. If you don't have one by then, baby will just be seen by the attending ped. at the hospital. I started looking towards my last trimester. Congratualtions on the baby, and Good Luck. :)

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S.X.

answers from Chicago on

Our pediatrician did not work out of the hospital we delivered at and that was ok. We ahd an apt w/a ped day 2 or 3 of the child's life. I wouldn't stress too much over that. Either way your child will be seen my a dr in the hospital, just find someone you feel comfortable that's excepting new pts. We went w/a group and decided we liked the first guy that saw him. Now after 2 yrs and still seeing other dr's there for sick hrs, we still like him the best : )

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J.P.

answers from Chicago on

This is a bad analogy but you kind of treat the new baby like a new car. When you buy a new car, you go home and call the insurance company to let them know of the changes....you do the same thing with your baby. Call them, let them know that there's a new baby...and you will eventually have to give them social security numbers.

I would recommend, because I didn't do this and it backfired...find a pediatrician asap...you can schedule "interviews" with them to see which one you will like the best.

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L.K.

answers from Chicago on

Regarding adding your baby to your health insurance, check with your carrier. Ours simply wanted us to call them after the baby was born, but some of my friends' insurance carriers required more documentation/notice. Anytime you have time to find a pediatrician is good; ask around, or ask your ob/gyn for a recommendation. Good luck!

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N.K.

answers from Chicago on

Choose your pediatrician long before your baby is due. Mine baby was born 6 weeks early. The first night we brought my son home, we had to call the pediatrician at 3am for an emergency. Thank God I had programmed their phone number in my cell and home telephones. We love Town and Country Pediatrics. They have 3 offices. You can google them.
Don't worry, my son is a happy and healthy one year old!!
It's awesome!!!!

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J.P.

answers from Bloomington on

Congratulations! Our daughter was a September baby as well - great month! :)
The insurance may depend on the coverage you currently have. For example, my insurance covered the birth and up to one month of care after the baby was born. She then had to have her own. Maybe start asking questions with your coverage and see what they can offer.
I don't think it is too early to start asking your 'mom' friends on thier opinions of pediatricians. And as you will find out over the next nine months, moms LOVE to talk about thier experiences!!! ;)
Good luck and I hope all goes well - it simply is life's biggest blessing!

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D.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

You will need to add the baby to the insurance the day after the baby is born. You can't add the baby until it has a birthday, so the sooner after the better! I have a family doctor so I never had to look for a pediatrician..sorry, but good luck, we will be moving soon and that is my biggest stress as of now!

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A.C.

answers from Kokomo on

You have 30 days from the day that the baby is born to add him or her to your insurance. Your employer will give you a form to fill out and send in. My recommendation is to fill it out when you are in the hospital...it is so easy to forget everything those first 30 days you are home with a new baby!! As far as finding a pediatrician...we waited until closer to the delivery of our girls to find one...like maybe at 32 weeks?? Some people have one set up before that. I am a procrasinator, and I knew where I wanted the girls to go anyway, so that I why I waited. :) I am due in September too...9/3...good luck and have a happy and healthy pregnancy!

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S.D.

answers from Indianapolis on

Hi:) Our insurance gave us 30 days from birth to add our son. Feel free to ask questions on here about who people do and don't like for docs. If you are specific about what you are looking for and where you can narrow it down pretty quickly. Include things like office hours, walk-ins and Saturdays, whether seeing a nurse practitioner is ok, views on vaccinations, etc...

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M.G.

answers from Chicago on

I started looking at ped. when I was about 6-7 months along. But I pretty much knew who I wanted. I delivered at a hospital that she is not affiliated with, so I had to use the hospital ped for the first few days. Then I took my daughter to her the day after I was released. Insurance won't let you add the baby until he/she is born. I did it the next day when I was in the hospital.

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G.T.

answers from Chicago on

When our babies were born, they had to spend some time in NICU but I do remember that before they could leave, we had to have their peditrician selected. I don't know if that applies to babies that go home right away. That said, we found our pediatrician ahead of time and we used the recommendations of the NICU nurses. I would definitely start checking people out. Start with asking your OB and his staff...I'm sure they're very familiar with that request and they can start you in the right direction.

As for the insurance, check with your HR department on their policies. I remember with mine, I just had to fax over a copy of the birth certificates and then they were added and then prorated back to their date of birth for coverage. I did not need their SS#'s.

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S.F.

answers from Indianapolis on

Usually insurance companies give you 30 days after your child is born to add them on your insurance policy! But best to add ASAP just in case your child should require any other treatments or attention other then the normal after he/she is born. As far as finding a pediatrician...You can start looking now. The babies pediatrician will want you to make an appointment the first days after coming home from the hospital.

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D.P.

answers from Chicago on

Dear J.,

Your baby will be added to your insurance once it's born--just give your provider a call to give them the name & date of birth, or contact your benefits administrator at work and notify them of the changes.

I think you should choose a pediatrician by 6 or 7 months--do it while you still feel great, and if you have time, go meet them in person for a chat to make sure you are on the same page!

Wishing you a happy, healthy pregnancy--

D.

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B.G.

answers from Chicago on

You should make sure your baby is on the insurance when he/she is born. We had some problems with coverage for his birth check up b/c he wasn't on it yet.

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R.C.

answers from Evansville on

I recommend calling now to find a pediatrician - it took me a couple of offices to find one that was accepting new patients and that I'd had a recommendation for.

As for adding the baby on the insurance, call and get the application now. You can get the majority of it completed and sent in (call and ask what and when the ins needs the paperwork.) You won't be able to add him/her til after he/she's born - it's something that dad should be able to take care of after baby is born. Best of luck!

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L.E.

answers from Chicago on

I am a Mother of two girls, ages 3 and 20 mos. I also worked extensively with benefits and handle my own family's benefit information, so I hope I'm helpful! Let me know if you need me to clarify anything, it can certainly be confusing!

You cannot add your child until your child is actually born. They do not cover your child for anything until after birth. The care you receive for your pregnancy is considered for you, so you're the patient in that case. Call your employer to confirm your timeframe. You will more than likely have 30 days to add your child to the insurance once the baby is born. Usually, if you do not add the child within those first 30 days of birth you lose your opportunity to enroll the baby until the NEXT annual enrollment period. Again, CONFIRM with your employer since you technically have to enroll the baby through your employer, then they send the information on to the health plan. If you have independent insurance (meaning insurance not through an employer), contact your health carrier directly since in that case you would have to enroll the baby directly through the health carrier itself. Your babies start date of coverage SHOULD BE the DATE OF BIRTH so the coverage will be retroactive to the birthdate. So, if your baby is born on Sept 4 but you can't get to calling to enroll him/her until Sept 15th, that's okay... the coverage SHOULD BE AFFECTIVE Setp 4th.

Now, you will not likely have a SSN for the baby when you enroll. That's okay. What you need to do is provide the child's full name and date of birth (and confirm w/ who you will be enrolling with any other initial information they'll need). As soon as you receive your child's SSN call back and make sure they add his/her SSN in their system. That is VERY important!

Again, I cannot emphasize enough to CONFIRM with your employer and the health care provider. The employer can enroll the child and confirm the start date of coverage (challenge it if it's not the date of birth), but the health care provider will be the BEST place for you to confirm WHAT is covered for you/your child since they actually handle paying your claims.

As far as pediatricians are concerned... start looking around come summertime. Make sure you confirm with the DOCTOR that they are receiving new patients. Sometimes if you go to the helath carrier's website to find a doctor, their system isn't always updated. It could say the doctor is accepting new patients but in reality he/she may not be...or vice versa. Also, when you call to confirm if the doctor is taking new patients, confirm that he/she takes your particular insurance. Sometimes that's not always updated in the health carriers information either. So, for example, the health carrier may say on its website that Dr. X takes their BCBS plan, but in reality the doctor may have stopped accepting that carrier two months ago. This happens a lot with HMO's. Always confirm with the doctor. Also, don't be shy about going in to "interview" the doctor and check out the office. They understand parents want to do that, usually they do not charge. But, it's up to the doctor whether or not they do this. Once you've found the doctor, make sure the office knows when your expected delivery will be b/c you will need to see that pediatrician a week or so after the baby is born. The pediatrician (or one from the office) should come by the hospital after you deliver (they are usually not the pediatrician who sees the baby immediately after the baby is born, that's usually an "on call" pediatrician at the hospital). You will give the pediatrician's name to the hospital and they will contact that pediatrician when you have delivered. But, confirm w/ your hospital b/c they can have a different system. But, make sure the closer you get to your delivery date that you reconfirm the doctor IS still accepting new patients and DOES still take your insurance. If you call in July and decide on that doctor, by Sept they may have dropped your carrier or stopped taking new patients.

GOOD LUCK!!!

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V.H.

answers from Chicago on

With our HMO we added our daughter after her birth. We had I beleive 30 days to add her on from her birth and if you missed the deadline after that then you would have to wait for open enrollment period. I don't know how much insurances differ depending on your employer. You should have a pedatrician selected before the baby is born because that Dr. is going to see the baby in the hospital. Even though you didn't officially put her on the insuracne they need to know the Dr. selection because they have a grace period where she is getting pedatrician services before you oficially put her on the insurance. Hope this helps.

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J.J.

answers from Chicago on

I also live in Darien, and have used DuPage Pediactrics for both my sons ages 7 & 3 1/2. I hadn't picked a pediatrician when my first was born, so I asked my neighbors & they recommended them. They are located at 1306 Plainfield Road in Darien (just west of Cass Ave). What I really like is that there is about 6 or more doctors there, so anytime you have a question or a sick child, one of them is available right away. Dr. Jennifer Hall is listed as our primary care physician, but our insurance lets us use any of their doctors. The phone # is ###-###-####.

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K.S.

answers from Fort Wayne on

If I were you, I would start asking around for a good pediatrician, and call them as soon as you have decided on one. Sometimes, they are not accepting new patients and may need to put you on a waiting list. Also your doctors may start asking soon, if you have chosen a pediatrician yet, just in case you deliver early. As far as insurance goes, if I remember correctly, I just talked to HR at my place of employment, and then filled out the paperwork to have the baby added after delivery. I think you have X amount of time to complete the paperwork. I hope this helps

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K.

answers from Chicago on

Both of my kids went on at the time of birth, coverage started as soon as they were born. You may not even have to do anything yourself right way. They sent me insurance papers after I got home to fill out and send in the baby's S.#. Insurance is all different, I would call and ask to be sure.
Good Luck w/ the new baby

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S.G.

answers from Chicago on

Most insurance policies require you to add the baby within 30 days after the birth. You need to find a ped. prior to birth. When you have the baby it must be exameined by ped. before being released. They'll call the ped. you've listed on admission forms. Most ped. will have you then come in for first visit 1-2 weeks after the birth.

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S.B.

answers from Indianapolis on

As far as I know you can not add ( my insurance wouldnt let me add my son) until you have to soc# after he is born as far as a ped. My sons first 3 visits were with 3 different peds.. I wish I had started looking and met with some and asked around before he was born.. I LOVE MY PEDIATRICIAN now!!

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N.M.

answers from Chicago on

Hello! Check with your insurance on when they want you to call. They all are different. Mine wouldn't add our kids until we had a SSN (about 15 weeks old). They will pay the bills, just follow their rules.

As for ped, find out who your friends like and set up an appt to interview them to see if their views and methods of treatment agree with your views.

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R.A.

answers from Chicago on

Hi J.,

First of all...congrats on your pregnancy. Best of luck in these next few months. Even though you've still got a ways to go, you can get started finding your Ped. Talk to family, trusted co-workers, neighbors, etc. (MamaSource is a great resource too!) ang get recommendations for a Ped. Find a Ped that works with the hospital that you plan to deliver in. About 1 or 2 months before your due date, you can contact the Ped of your choice and arrange an appointment / visit to check out their office. You can spend an hour watching how they interact with kids, parents etc. and see the layout of their office. During your meeting with the Ped, find out about his/her procedure for visiting at the hospital and evaluating your little one. Also discuss with him/her questons about circumcision (if you are considering it & if it applies).
As for adding baby to your insurance, it depends on who is carrying the insurance. If it's thru your employer, you might contact your personnel or HR office to get forms (if applicable). If it's thru your hubby's employer, same thing. Depends on the carrier really. Either way, you can contact the insurance company directly, but not until the baby's born. You'll have 30 days from the day that baby is born to sign him/her up for insurance.
Hope this helps!

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G.S.

answers from Chicago on

J.,
It may depend on your insurance carrier, but you should get a chance to add the child once he/she is born. I had 31 days to add my daughter, even though her social security number hadn't arrived yet. It's good to get your Pediatrician chosen by your 36th week so that you can add their name and number to your hospital enrollment forms. This way, they'll come see the baby once he/she is born.

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E.N.

answers from Chicago on

Add your baby on your insurance policy the day after he/she is born. DO NOT WAIT! Give someone the responsibility of reminding you to do it. You will have a lot to do so designate someone other than yourself the job of remembering! I put my insurance info in my hospital bag so I wouldn't forget it. As far as finding a doctor for your baby, I had my OBGYN recommend someone and then took it from there.

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A.H.

answers from Chicago on

Your child is not automatically added to your insurance when they are born. You must add them on. Most insurances state within 30 days. They will not go back if you don't make the limit they stated. I agree with everyone else about the ped. The sooner the better.

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S.K.

answers from Fort Wayne on

Go do interviews of Dr.s now. ANyone you WANT to be your dr will be open to the idea.
You add a patient to insurance the day it is born--at least call, then you'll need the birth certificate for them to actually add her legally but she'll be covered retroactively.

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