Getting Maternity Coverage While Self-Employed

What is maternity coverage, or as others would call it, statutory maternity pay? This is the coverage you get when you are off work due to maternity leave.

Not many groups offer health care coverage for self-employed mothers to be. But others do, and for those groups, the question we must ask is: How do the ones that offer coverage calculate the benefits for maternity care?

This article will explore this topic to help you learn what you can expect when you are expecting, specifically when it comes to maternity health coverage.

Are You Eligible?

Before you qualify for the coverage, there are certain rules you are supposed to follow. Yes, you probably are eligible for maternity coverage if you meet the set criteria.

You have to have been self-employed for a minimum of 26 weeks. Your earnings must reflect that. The earnings must be for at least 13 weeks and counting. The weeks don’t have to be consecutive, though. 

Other Things to Consider

Of course, to be on the safe side of the insurance coverage, you have to ensure that 12 months have passed before making any claim. If you make you know you’ll be quitting your job soon, you have to make sure that your coverage will kick in before you leave your employment. This is all to be safe.

For example, many people know when they’ll be leaving their regular employment and moving to self-care after they give birth or even before. It is safe if you start paying for individual coverage six months before you leave. This will give you ample time for the 12 month waiting period to catch up. That’ll ensure that you get the full coverage you expected. 

What’s with the 12-Month Waiting Period?

It is quite understandable that insurance companies will go for the 12-month waiting period before your coverage kicks in. Otherwise, most people would abuse the system. Just take this idea for example: if you only took the coverage when and after you knew you were pregnant, how would the coverage help you? Insurance companies plan long-term and not short-term, as other companies might. 

The insurance issuers would have been suffering massive losses if their clients were just there when they were about to deliver and about to pack out right after. With the 12-month waiting period, the company can finance your insurance quite easily since this is something you had planned for. It doesn’t matter if you take it exactly 12-months before you conceive. For employed personnel, the rules are quite flexible, but that’s only because the employer will continue to pay. For individual insurance, make sure you follow the 12-month waiting rule. This will help you get the coverage without any hitch.

Conclusion

Getting insurance coverage as an individual is, at most times, pretty hectic. But it surely can be done, as most people have done it and done so successfully, of course. All you have to do to get maternity coverage as a self-employed person is to ensure you follow all the guidelines. In all cases, ensure that you have taken the 12-month waiting period into significant consideration.