Maternity Insurance|Maternity Care|Postpartum Care

Many couples look for the best way to get pregnant without first considering their insurance needs. Normal pregnancy is an expensive undertaking by itself when you consider the costs of doctors, hospitals and mom's lost income during maternity leave. Throw in complications, and the cost equation escalates rapidly. Fortunately, buying insurance to cover your pregnancy is quite affordable. It's the one time you can buy insurance to cover a planned event: your normal labor and delivery. You can use your plans to get pregnant to turn the table on insurance companies.

The best way to get pregnant is to conceive with the proper insurance plans already in place. Once you are already pregnant it will be too late to get coverage: pregnancy is considered a pre-existing condition. There are two types of coverage you should have in place before you conceive: major medical insurance, and supplemental maternity insurance.

Major Medical Health Insurance for Doctors and Hospitals

Make sure you have a good health insurance plan in place before getting pregnant. Major medical insurance pays benefits directly to your doctors and hospitals when you go for prenatal exams, and to deliver your baby.

Group health plans through employer groups typically provide the best maternity coverage. Group plans will often cover your normal labor and delivery in addition to complications. If your employer does not offer coverage you may need to utilize the individual market.

Maternity coverage in the individual market is hard to find. Insurers want to protect themselves against adverse selection, so they rarely include coverage for a normal pregnancy without a large deductible or long waiting period. Adverse selection refers to the tendency for people to buy insurance only when they know they will need it. Even with these drawbacks, it makes sense to protect your finances in case complications arise. Most policies will cover complications.

Supplemental Maternity Insurance Fills Key Gaps

Supplemental maternity insurance pay benefits directly to you, not to your doctor or hospital the way major medical insurance pays benefits. When bought before conception it covers your normal labor and delivery helping you to create maternity leave income. Complications of pregnancy and premature birth may also result in additional cash benefits paid directly to you.

If you have an employer plan use supplemental maternity insurance to replace your income during maternity leave and allow yourself to bond with your baby without worrying about how to pay your bills. Use your supplemental coverage to fill the holes in your individual coverage. Ask your employer to make supplemental insurance available at work for you and your co workers.

Have you been struggling through the pain and anguish associated with failing to get pregnant? Are you searching for a solution that will allow you to give birth naturally to a healthy baby?

I can totally relate to you as I suffered miserably for years of unsuccessful attempts to conceive.

My doctor had even been so bold as to tell me that I had "no chance" of getting pregnant on my own and that if I was serious about becoming a mother, I would need to undergo fertility treatments.

The idea of having painful surgeries and taking a bunch of drugs was not appealing to me. Plus the fact that our insurance wouldn't cover it didn't help either...

But there was no way that I was going to give up my dream of having a baby as I had heard stories of other women overcoming infertility with 100% homeopathic treatments.

I literally spent hours pouring over information on natural infertility cures and in my desperation, I tried just about everything...

And guess what? I discovered a secret I am just dying to share with you.

I was able to overcome infertility and I'm 100% confident you can too!

Here are the three most powerful natural infertility remedies on the planet:

1) Check your beauty products: Many cosmetics contain the chemical Paraben,
which is known to completely disturb the proper hormonal balance that is critical to conception.

You will also be able to locate Paraben in many deodorants and shaving creams. This chemical is so dangerous that the FDA considers it a potential carcinogen and some studies have already linked it to an increased risk of obtaining breast cancer.

If you are experiencing problems getting pregnant, having this chemical present in your system will literally keep you from ever having a baby.

2) Take folic acid: This vitamin is absolutely essential to pregnancy success. It has also been long known to prevent many health issues in your baby such as spina bifida.

A recent study of over 18,000 women showed that those who took folic acid had a 40% lower chance of difficulty generating eggs. Lack of egg production is the #2 cause of female infertility.

Doctors recommend that women seeking to become pregnant take 0.4 mg of folic acid daily upon stopping birth control.

3) Supplement with herbs: Herbs have been proven to help the regulation of ovulation and increase the hormones needed for conception.

Just be cautious about the amount and types of herbs you use as they can be very potent and have nasty side effects when overused or taken in combination with medications.

California is one of two states with an infertility insurance law that mandates insurers to offer coverage. This type of mandate is distinctly different from state mandates that require employers to provide coverage. The distinction seems minor at first glance. California couples dealing with infertility should understand the unintended consequences of this language, and weigh their options carefully.

Unintended Consequences

Having an infertility insurance mandate should help lower costs for couples considering infertility treatments - right? Unfortunately this is not always the case. To understand why, you have to follow the money.

Insurance companies compete to offer group health insurance plans based upon several factors including: quality of service, network of doctors and hospitals, and price. The first two factors, while important are often very hard to quantify. On the other hand, price is extremely easy to quantify.

Employers are forever looking for ways to cut costs. Group health insurance costs have been skyrocketing over time. Employers attempt to control these costs in one of two ways:

Employers have been migrating towards Consumer Directed Health Plans in an attempt to better control costs. These plans cover less, and therefore cost less.

Employers pit one insurer against the next on similar plan designs in order to wring the greatest level of cost savings. The insurer with the lowest cost structure often wins.

California Health Insurance plans that offer infertility coverage will cost more than plans that do not. In a given year, only a very small percentage of employees will have a need for infertility insurance coverage. Therefore, most employers looking to cut costs will opt to offer plans without the infertility option.

An Upward Cost Spiral

So which employers will offer infertility coverage? Probably only a handful of uniquely positioned employers will make this choice. Employers with an employee demographic profile heavily weighted with married people age thirty to forty may consider offering the option. And many employers may offer two or more plan designs: one with, and one or more without infertility insurance coverage.

And which employees will elect the more expensive option? Only those considering infertility treatments will opt in. The remainder will opt for the less expensive option that does not include coverage they will never use.

So what does this all boil down to? Infertility insurance may become unaffordable, even for those likely to use the coverage. Insurance plans offering infertility treatment coverage will see a very high level of adverse selection. That means virtually every person in the plan is expecting to use the benefit. Insurers typically are held to a loss ratio of around 80%. This means that infertile couples in aggregate may expect to receive $.80 back on every $1.00 of premium paid for these plans. Where there is little risk sharing, costs for those likely to use the benefit will be very high.

What are the Options?

Your employer may not offer infertility coverage, or if they do you may find that the incremental cost of coverage outweighs your likely benefit. Consider using your flexible spending account to use pre-tax dollars to pay for your treatments. Supplemental insurance can be offered by your employer in a way that keeps the overall cost of health insurance low for all employees. Supplemental insurance can help you recoup you're out of pocket costs when you deliver your baby.

There are several reliable health insurance companies that offer plans in Utah.  Here are the main ones and a little about each one:

Altius Health Plans

Altius has a variety of unique plan options. Their large independent network of doctors allows customers to choose from the Mountain Star hospitals and an independent network of doctors.  Altius offers a free dental discount plan to all of their Utah members that purchase a health plan.  Because there are so many babies born in Utah, Altius has chosen to have a $7,500 deductible for maternity.  In my experience, people have been very happy with, and loyal to, Altius Health Plans.

Assurant Health Plans

Assurant Health offers a wide variety of plans, but their most unique advantage is their OneDeductible plan which is compatible with a health savings account.  Assurant Health is able to accept many people who have been denied by other Utah insurance companies because of their innovative "condition specific deductibles".   Assurant also offers 24 and 36 month rate guarantees on some of their plans, as well as the lowest individual & family maternity deductible in the state ($2,500 in 2009).  Assurant offers Utah residents the ability to choose their maternity deductible, which is completely unique to the Utah market.

HumanaOne

HumanaOne has a large doctor and hospital network in Utah, called Choice PPO.   They have done a great job offering affordably priced health savings account compatible plans.   In fact, if you are looking to buy a high deductible health plan that is eligible to be used with a health savings account in Utah, HumanaOne will ilkely be the best option.  HumanaOne offers term life and dental insurance along with their Utah insurance plans and makes it easy for Utah customers to transfer their plan from state to state if they move.

Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah

Regence Blue Cross is a solid competitor in the market and boasts a fairly low maternity deductible compared to other Utah health insurers.  Blue Cross has the largest PPO doctor network in the state of Utah, called ValueCare. Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah continues to have a good reputation, solid plans, and competitive rates compared to other Utah insurers.

SelectHealth

SelectHealth has exclusive network use of the Intermountain Healthcare hospitals.   In addition, SelectHealth's kids plans make for an attractive option for children under the age of 18.  Selecthealth also offers optional dental insurance with each of their individual and family plans, making it easy to get your health and dental in one place.  On top of receiving national attention for their ability to provide quality care at an affordable price, with excellent patient outcomes, they have received national awards for quality of care and innovation in the Utah marketplace. 

There are many quality options for Utah residents shopping for health insurance in Utah.  Stick to one of the main companies above and you will be happy with the choice you make.

If insurance is something new to you, or you need to combine policies, get better rates and coverage, then it is most certainly that you have plenty of questions. This article has answers to some of the most commonly asked questions. It also contained tips on how to pick the best insurance policy.

Check with independent rating agencies and make sure that your insurer is highly rated. Stay clear of insurance firms which are financially shaky and not very trustworthy.

Sign-up for a life insurance policy which you can change in future. The terms are typically for a minimum of five years and 30 years maximum. Do take the ages of your children's into consideration, factor in your mortgage obligations, retirement savings and your spouse's income-generation ability before making a decision on the kind of coverage to buy.

When looking for a life insurance agent, proceed with care. Some people prefer to work with independent agents who can provide competing offers from various companies, while others are more comfortable purchasing insurance from larger, national companies. A good and independent agent is often knowledgeable about various insurance offerings, and as such can offer great assistance to help you to select the best-fit policy for you.

Buying insurance when you are still young is often the wisest investment decisions you will ever make. The aging process inevitably makes you more vulnerable to health issues and illnesses. This may spike your premiums when you buy the policy, as compared to buying the policy earlier.

If you wake up one day and say, "I think I'll just buy some life insurance on a lark," you might want to rethink your decision. It is important that you understand why you need life insurance.

Decide the best route to take in order to purchase life insurance policy. For instance, you might want to use the insurance provided by your employer rather than opting for a private policy. Another good way is to get a financial planner who dishes out fee-only services to help you make informed decisions. Alternatively, give insurance agents who only work for a single company a try.

The advice you have been provided with will provide you with the confidence you need to purchase the life insurance plan that best fits your needs. Take the initiative to get yourself covered, and you can rest easy knowing that your family will not suffer any more than necessary if the unexpected ever occurs.

Short term disability insurance comes in a variety of flavors. In addition to policy features such as elimination period, benefit period, and benefit amount there are group policies, individual policies, and other that fall somewhere in between: group voluntary. Each type of coverage fits a different need for employers, employees, and individuals. This article will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of three policy types: group, individual, and voluntary.

Group Short Term Disability

Group short term disability insurance is an employer paid option. Many companies choose to cover the premium expense for disability coverage on behalf of its employees. Employee benefits are an important consideration for attracting and retaining a quality workforce, and group coverage is one way for employers to set themselves apart.

The primary advantage of group coverage is that all employees participate in coverage. This translates into lower rates, and guaranteed acceptance. With all employees participating adverse selection is eliminated. Adverse selection refers to the tendency for people expecting to need the benefit to purchase coverage more frequently than those not expecting to need the benefit. Lower claims ratios help lower rates. Guaranteed acceptance means that employees with pre-existing conditions can get coverage. There may be a waiting period before gaining benefits for the pre-existing condition, but the employee gets coverage for other medical events that might cause a disruption in coverage.

The primary disadvantage of group coverage is the employer cost and choice. Because employers must bear the cost of the premium, the employer gets to choose whether to offer this benefit to employees. And many employers choose not to buy this coverage for employees, meaning many employees have no income replacement. Another disadvantage is continuity. If an employee leaves the employer, they often leave their disability policy behind.

Individual Disability Coverage

Employees without group coverage or separating from their employer might look to the individual market for coverage. The advantage to this approach is that employees are in charge of the process. The employee or income earner gets to choose the insurance carrier, agent, and policy configurations that best suit his or her needs. And coverage continues no matter where an individual chooses to work.

The main drawbacks to individual policies are cost, benefits, and attainability. Individual policies often cost more than group policies because of the adverse selection factor noted above. Also the benefits and coverage may be more restrictive. For example, coverage options for normal pregnancy are very restrictive on individual policies. There is either no coverage at all, or exceptionally long waiting periods. Furthermore, underwriting requirements can be very harsh. Often only people with crystal clean medical records can qualify for coverage. Anyone who has experienced a medical event may find it very difficult to qualify for coverage.

Voluntary Disability Insurance

Voluntary short term disability insurance represents a fertile middle ground for both employers, and individuals looking for lower costs, better benefits, and more attainable coverage. Voluntary group coverage combines positive elements of both the individual policies and group coverage to create a more positive overall experience for both parties.

Voluntary coverage helps lower costs. Marketing programs via payroll deduction to groups helps pool risks for insurers helping to lower claims rates and costs. Also, a payroll deduction means policies can be paid for using pre-tax deductions, which can lower the effective cost of the policies.

Voluntary policies make coverage more attainable and sustainable. Since coverage is paid for by the employees through payroll deduction, there is no direct cost to employers. Employers can expand benefit options to employees without adding to direct costs. Because these are group policies, some insurers will offer a guaranteed issue option that hinges upon participation rates within a group. This means that employees with existing or past medical problems may be able to get coverage. The policies are also portable, meaning that coverage can continue if an employee separates from the group.

Finally voluntary coverage means expanded benefit coverage. For example, a woman planning a pregnancy can find a lower cost, attainable policy that covers normal labor and delivery, plus complications by purchasing coverage through her employer. Since she pays the premium herself, it's easy for her employer to make paid maternity leave benefits available to her and her co-workers. Should she leave her employer, she can continue coverage as the policy is portable.

Ask your employer to make a voluntary short term disability insurance program available.

In 2005 alone, there were more than 24 million disabling injuries. That's 2,750 every hour, says the National Safety Council! While all of these incidents did not result in permanent injury or the need for long term disability insurance, they did require some time off and many people were concerned about lost wages and how to cover basic living expenses. Luckily, most working adults pay into a system of disability insurance through their employers, so they'll be covered should they ever need it. Self-employed individuals and contract employees may opt into a similar system to protect their wages as well.

One type of short-term disability insurance applies to the states of California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island only. These locations offer State Disability Insurance benefits, which may also be referred to as temporary disability insurance. When a person comes down with an illness or non-work-related injury that is expected to last for a short amount of time, they can receive partial wage replacement under this program. These state programs pay maternity disability benefits for pregnancy and childbirth as well.

Workers may be able to go back to work -- either with the same employer or a different employer -- and will still receive a certain percentage of their new pay. The money for these programs is paid through automatic payroll deductions, so any non-government employee is eligible, even if they are currently out of work. (However, they will not be eligible for SDI and unemployment insurance at the same time.)

Once you apply for short-term disability insurance, you will have to wait to see if you're approved. On average, this can take anywhere from one day to 14 days. If approved, you will receive back-pay for the waiting period.

Injuries generally clear much faster than illnesses, for which you will need a medical doctor to provide verification documentation on your disability insurance claims. If you disagree with the rejection of your claim, then you may appeal the determination, file a lawsuit or both. If you intend to appear in court, it's advisable to have an attorney who specializes in disability benefits law.

Short-term disability insurance frees you from worrying about how you're going to pay the bills or cover basic daily expenses as you recuperate from a sudden illness or injury. In some cases, you may be quite certain that you're filing for disability long term, but you must first make a claim for short-term benefits and then re-apply for long-term benefits once your temporary disability insurance runs out. In some cases, you will need to apply for social security disability if you are over age 65 or worker's compensation if you were hurt on the job. You aren't mandated to stay at home for the entire time you're rehabilitating; in fact, many employers encourage you to come back to work, even in part-time as you heal.

Quick FAQS

What are FMLA and CFRA?

FMLA stands for Federal Family and Medical Leave Act. CFRA stands for California Family Rights Act. Both acts represent Federal and State laws that allow eligible employees to take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave during any 12 month period.

What are the acceptable reasons for taking a leave of absence?

For FMLA reasons will include a serious health condition of the employee, child, spouse, or parent; the birth of a child of the employee, placement of a child for adoption or foster care. This includes any period of incapacity due to pregnancy, including prenatal examinations or severe morning sickness.

CFRA works the same as FMLA, except that CFRA also allows for care of a registered domestic partner and excludes pregnancy. For pregnancy, California allows up to 4 months of Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) pursuant to the California Fair Employment and Housing Act for all employers with five or more full or part time employees. PDL is for any women hindered due to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. This includes prenatal care and severe morning sickness

Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for Covered Employers

Covered Employers are those who engage in activity affecting commerce and employ 50 or more employees in 20 weeks of current or preceding year. Public agencies and private elementary and secondary schools are covered regardless of the number of employees.

California Family Rights Act (CFRA) for Covered Employers

Covered Employers are those who engage in business or enterprise in California and employ 50 or more employees in any 20 weeks of current or preceding calendar year. California, counties, and any political or civil subdivision of the state and cities are covered regardless of the number of employees.

FMLA and CFRA for Covered Employees

Covered Employees are employed with the employer for at least 12 months (need not be consecutive months), worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12 month period immediately preceding the leave, and employed at a worksite where 50 or more employees work within a distance of 75 surface miles.

What are the posting requirements?

An FMLA and CFRA notice explaining entitlements of leave and procedures for filing a complaint with the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division must be posted in a conspicuous place where applicants and employees tend to congregate.

Can the employer request medical certification?

FMLA and CFRA. An employer can request medical certification from the employee. The employer can ask for a second and even third opinion to verify the validity of the medical certification. However, under CFRA, a second or third medical opinion cannot be requested regarding the care of an employees family member. The employer must accept the certification

What is the employer's obligation to designate or deny leave?

For both FMLA and CFRA it is the employer's obligation to designate or deny leave, in writing and indicate if leave is paid or unpaid. Designating leave must be done prospectively and not retroactively unless the employer lacks sufficient information as to the reason for leave.

FMLA and CFRA allowed time off

For FMLA, up to 12 weeks in an established 12 month period is allowed. Intermittent leaves or a reduced work schedule may be taken when medically necessary. CFRA is the same as FMLA with the exception that leave(s) taken for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement shall be granted at a minimum of two week increments. On two occasions increments of less than two weeks may be used.

FMLA and CFRA leave will run concurrently, except in the case of a leave taken for disability due to pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition in the State of California which is covered separately under the California Pregnancy Disability Leave.

How to determine paid or unpaid leave.

FMLA and CFRA is unpaid, however, an employee may choose or the employer may require substitution of unpaid FMLA with vacation or other accrued time off and/or sick pay to the extent the circumstances meet the employer's typical policy for the use of sick pay.

Does the group health coverage continue while the employee is on leave?

For both FMLA and CFRA, the employer must continue any group health plan for the duration of FMLA leave, at least 12 weeks in a 12 month period, under the same conditions as if the employee was actively working. Longer health plan coverage or other benefits are determined by the employer's policy to the same extent and under the same conditions as would apply to any other leave. Employees are still responsible for their share of benefit premium payments.

What happens when the employee returns from leave?

For both FMLA and CFRA, the employee must be reinstated to the same or equivalent position at the end of leave. However, the employee has no greater right to reinstatement, benefits, or to other conditions of employment than if he or she was continuously employed during FMLA leave. The exception to this is for salaried key employees, defined as the highest paid 10% of all employees. If denial is necessary to prevent serious economic harm to the employer, then the employee needs to be properly notified.

The above is a brief summary of information pertaining to FMLA & CFRA and not a complete description of all rules and regulations. As rules and regulations are subject to change we cannot verify that all information is current or completely accurate. HCP National provides educational programs to assist our clients in risk management through compliance with various applicable federal laws, rules and regulations; however, this is neither an effort to practice law or a legal service. We encourage everyone to consult with their own attorney, certified public accountant and tax professional on any issues involving specific facts, persons, circumstances or situations.

The number of people buying their own health insurance is expected to reach 20 million in 2010, according to an analysis by McKinsey & Co. With rampant unemployment, it's tempting to just give up and buy a high-deductible plan with the lowest premium available. For better or worse, there's a lot more to think about when comparing Florida health insurance plans than the monthly price tag.

Be sure you are looking at an actual Florida health insurance policy and not a discount plan. Also, be careful to deal with major insurers that have been rated by independent rating organizations, like A.M. Best, for financial stability. While a rating of "A-" or higher doesn't guarantee all of your claims will be paid, it does offer assurance that the company has the financial ability to pay its customers' claims.

Here's What To Ask About Health Insurance In Florida

One the most important questions to ask is the amount that your out-of-pocket expenses will be limited to, which is known as the maximum out of pocket. Here's an example of why that's so important.

When Tina Smith bought a policy, she was impressed by low premiums and a $2-million lifetime coverage benefit. She did not realize that an annual limit of just $5,000 was lurking beneath that lifetime limit. This plan limited outpatient treatment to $5,000 a year.

When she developed lymphoma, Tina needed $91,000 for imaging scans and other outpatient services. "I'm not health-care savvy, and it didn't occur to me I had to go over this with a fine-tooth comb," she lamented.

Individual Health Insurance In Florida Has No Lifetime Limits

That $2 million lifetime limit was fairly standard, but health care reform has put an end to these caps on coverage. Insurance companies can no longer put a limit on the amount of coverage you can receive throughout your lifetime. You'll still need to guard against other types of limits, like the annual limit that resulted in such huge medical debt for Tina.

Also, be sure you understand how a plan's deductible works. You should only have one annual deductible, rather than one deductible per incident that could subject you to much higher out-of-pocket expenses.

Florida Health Insurance Limits Coverage For Pre-existing Conditions

When you're buying your own coverage in what's known as the individual market, it's very difficult to get coverage when your health is bad. Children with pre-existing conditions gained guaranteed coverage in 2010 with the passage of health care reform. Adults won't have that kind of protection until 2014.

It may surprise you to learn that pregnancy is termed "a pre-existing condition" in the individual market. Maternity coverage on individual Florida health insurance varies by the insurer and by the plan, but individual plans do not provide maternity benefits in the same way that group plans do. Most individual plans do not offer maternity coverage unless you buy an additional rider.

Shockingly, all insurers in the individual market refuse to provide maternity coverage once you are pregnant. That means you must buy this before pregnancy begins.

Worse still, insurers typically will decline your husband and children as well until after your baby is born.

Health Insurance For Florida Limits Maternity Coverage

When you are pregnant, all individual Florida health insurance plans can refuse you coverage until after your baby is born. If you get a plan with maternity benefits before you're pregnant, it will typically include a waiting period before you're eligible for maternity benefits.

For example, no maternity benefits will be paid during the first 12 months that your policy is in force, but you may have coverage even when you become pregnant during the waiting period.

Conception must have happened after you've had maternity coverage for a specific amount of time, such as 270 days. Any pregnancy that occurs before that 270-day limit would not typically be covered, at least not fully covered.

Maternity benefits may be incremental. For instance, you may have a small benefit if you become pregnant during the 12-month waiting period, a larger benefit should you become pregnant in the second year of coverage, and a much larger benefit when you become pregnant during the third year.

Carefully review any limits on your coverage, especially if you expect delivery complications, and remember to subtract your deductible. Maternity coverage is generally a separate benefit of an additional rider with a separate co-insurance charge and a deductible.

As we mentioned in previous articles, infertility is defined as the inability of a couple to conceive after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse. It effects over 5 millions couple alone in the U. S. and many times more in the world. Because of an unawareness of treatments, only 10% seeks help from professional specialist.We have spent most of the time in this series discussing the conventional and Chinese medicine in treating fertility. In this article, we will discuss how over counter medicine--baby aspirin effects fertility

I. Definition

Baby aspirin is defined as small dose of aspirin about 80-100 mg for small children. It is often used to reduce coagulation of blood in patients with high risk of heart attack.

II. How over counter medicine--baby aspirin effects fertility

1. Blood thinner

As it helps to make the blood thinner, it increases the blood flow to the body, including the uterus, thereby decreasing the risk of coagulation of blood, causing blood stagnation in the reproductive organ and reducing the chance of fertility.

2. Antiphospholipid Antibodies

Antiphospholipid Antibodies interferes with normal process of fertility, it can cause the blood to become much thicker than usual and blood platelets to stick together, leading to miscarriage or multiple miscarriages as resulting of blood clots around the placenta.

3. Ovulation

Researcher found that baby aspirin helps to stimulate the ovulation and increase the activity of the ovaries in production of multiple eggs, that are vital for artificial insemination.

4. Uterine lining

Since it helps to increase blood flow to the uterine limning, it makes the uterine lining thicker and healthier for egg implantation.

5. Nervous system

Besides helping to prevent heart diseases and stroke by making the blood thinner, it also helps to improve the circulatory function in transporting the oxygen and vital nutrients to the nervous cells, resulting in increasing the function of cells in transmitting information and reducing the risk of nervous disorder, such as fatigue and tiredness.

III. Risks and side effects

You should avoid to take aspirin, if you have

a) Stomach ulcers,
b) A history of gastrointestinal bleeding,
c) Blood-clotting,
d) Uncontrolled high blood pressure

Please consult with your doctor, if you take any blood thinner medicine.

In conventional medicine, high FSH is defined as a condition of the follicles do not respond to the FSH, causing the pituitary gland to produce even more FSH to stimulate the response of ovaries in follicle production. In traditional Chinese medicine, high FSH is defined as the process of the continuous surging of yin can not stimulate the ovarian to produce the follicle, because of yin deficiency, leading to pituitary gland producing more FSH hormone. Herbs, acupuncture and foods used to treat kidney yin deficiency cause of high level FSH include

I. Herbs

1. Sheng di huang (Rehmannia)

The cool herb has been used to improve function of heart, kidney and liver channels by clearing heat, cooling blood, nourishing yin and generating fluids.

2. Gou qi ( Chinese wolfberry)

The neutral herb has been used to tonify the liver, lung, kidney by nourishing liver and kidney yin and blood yin deficiency.

3. Wu wei zi (Schisandra)

The warm herb has been used in TCM in promoting the heart, kidney and lung channels by tonifying kidneys yin and essence, generating fluids and reducing the kidney yin cause of frequent urination.

4. Sha shen (Glehnia root)

The cool herb has been used to enhance the lung and stomach channels by nourishing the stomach, generating body fluids and moistening skin and skin under layer.

5. Sang ji sheng (Mulberry mistletoe stem)

The neutral herb has been used to smooth the liver and kidney channel by enhancing liver function and curing the kidney caused by yin and blood deficiency.

II. Acupuncture

The bolow are the suggested points for acupuncture

1. BL15 (Xinshu)

2. BL18 (Ganshu)

3. BL23 (Shenshu)

4. HE7 (Shenmen)

5. KD3 (Taixi)

6. LV3 (Taichong)

7. SP6 (Sanyinjiao)

8. Etc.

III. Foods

1. String beans

2. Celery

3. Parsley

4. Grapes

5. Plum

6. Berries

7. Sea salt

8. Etc.

In TCM, each woman is treated uniquely to her own entity depending to differentiation, please consult with your Chinese medicine practitioner before applying.

When sperm is put in a woman's uterus to try to make a pregnancy, the process is called insemination. The majority of women undertake sexual intercourse to get pregnant. Nevertheless, a number of women could also become pregnant through treatments of fertility like In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or artificial insemination.

Artificial insemination presently also is called as intrauterine insemination (IUI). A lot of couples utilize it particularly when the woman has an allergic reaction to the sperm of her partner. A lot of women also choose it from a donor due to some motives. It takes plenty of endeavors to be successful.

You must be conscious of the high price connected with several medical practices before you start the procedure of getting pregnant with no sex. Although you possess medical insurance, there is the likelihood that these practices are not included.

After the procedure, there are even more considerable measures that could be made to assist you to get pregnant with no sex. The sperm and egg could be united in a laboratory and afterward the fetus could be inserted into the uterus, if required.

The rates of success through this procedure differ. Some factors that minimize your possibility of success consist of woman with older age, poor quality of egg, poor quality of sperm, severe endometriosis and severe damage to fallopian tubes.

Actually, artificial insemination doesn't look hopeful if you would like to conceive. What's more, the charge is high which makes it unreasonable for numerous couples. Even though all treatments of fertility have pros and cons, the best method to conceive is making use of natural processes that don't charge too much. You need to find out little well-known ways for getting pregnant naturally that have been overlooked by a good number of medical specialists.

When planning a family, one of the many important things to think about is how much it will cost to have a baby. Depending on what you may or may not have heard you may be surprised to hear what it may cost to raise a child, and it is important to get ready ahead of time for the amount of money you will need to have a baby. The necessities like food, clothing, and shelter need to be taken into account by themselves. Their educational needs, medical insurance and treatment, and of course recreational materials and activities may cost a lot as well.

Common wisdom may state that it costs 300K or 500K to raise a child to age 18, but if you look at your typical American income and the size of a typical American family, those figures do not add up. The 2010 Bundle Report showed that married couples with children spent an average of $6000 dollars a year more than their childless counterparts. A detailed chart showed that the age of a child made a difference in the amount that was spent also.

Before starting a family it is definitely worth your time and money to look into your health insurance benefits to be certain you are covered for maternity. You also need to look at how motherhood will impact the family income coming from the wife. When you are having your baby, the mother at least will have to take some time off of work by taking a maternity leave. This will cost you some of your income since paid maternity leave is very rare. Make sure you have enough money saved up ahead for emergencies before you decide to have a baby and go on leave.

After delivering the baby and bringing it home, you will have to spend a lot on baby diapers and milk. New babies usually require around 300 diapers per month though this amount is reduced over time, and this can add up to quite a lot every month. Add to that the amount of money you will need for milk and baby food. One family I know made an agreement that the husband would provide the disposable diapers if the wife provided the milk. The fact that she was a stay-at-home mother with plenty of time to nurture a breast milk supply made this a very economical plan.

Once your maternity leave ends and you need to go back to work, you will need to pay to send your baby or child to daycare. It will probably be expensive as well, especially if you have more than one child to be looked after. It is best to look for places nearby your home or your work place so you spend less time and money on travel. Another option is to economize strictly until the youngest child in your family is old enough for all day kindergarten in public school. The cost of after-school care is much lower than all day.

No matter how much you end up spending for your baby, you should know that it is all worth it. A child is a bundle of joy and a miracle of life, and it is worth all of the time and effort you put into raising your child. They bring so much happiness and meaning into one's life. Remember this when you are raising your child to be a great member of society.

The purpose of international health insurance is to cover relocated employees and their families for conditions that occur after the policy has begun. It is therefore important to understand what is, and isn't covered before joining.

If you have a medium or large number of employees to be covered, you might be able to benefit from something called 'Medical History Disregarded' which can mean that your employees don't need to go through an underwriting process and if you're transferring from another policy, that cover can continue uninterrupted with waiting periods for things like dental and maternity benefits waived. If you have a small number of employees to be covered however, then it's likely that your group will need to be underwritten. Group sizes where underwriting is imposed vary between providers but generally if your group is under 10 members, then some kind of underwriting process will be required. Underwriting is the process whereby an insurance carrier examines the medical records of a prospective insured in order to decide what they can be covered for, and at what cost.

The two main ways insurance providers assess applications for cover are moratorium underwriting and full medical underwriting. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages, and there is some debate among providers as to which is better for the customer.

Moratorium underwriting is where only three or four questions are asked about medical history. These are as straightforward as 'Have you been to a doctor in the last two years?' If you state that you have been free of symptoms, treatment and advice for a medical condition in a given period before the policy starts (usually between two and five years), you'll receive cover for it.

There is no need to fill in a detailed health assessment questionnaire, and any pre-existing conditions for which you have received treatment or advice are automatically excluded. However, cover for these conditions is usually reinstated after two continuous years from the start of the policy, should you remain symptom, treatment and advice-free in that time.

The upside of moratorium is that it's fast to implement. The downside is that the policyholder will most likely get underwritten every time they make a claim, which is not a welcome prospect for overseas assignees.

The fundamental selling point of any kind of insurance is peace of mind. An employee in unfamiliar territory will sleep easier knowing that they have done everything they need to at the time of purchase, and that should they require treatment, their insurer is ready to take care of it promptly and without issue.

Full medical underwriting is arguably the preferable option in such circumstances. This is where the insurance provider asks detailed questions about your medical history at the time of application. This process can take some time - generally up to a week to gather all the information. They then make a decision on what will and won't be covered on the policy.

The advantages here are numerous: you know exactly what you are and aren't covered for; the process only happens once when you apply; when you claim it is processed quicker and with the minimum of fuss. In short, full medical writing provides employees with peace of mind and allows them to put health concerns at the back of their mind, regardless of location.

This is not to say that full medical underwriting is entirely free of drawbacks. As the name implies, it is comprehensive and therefore takes longer. This also means that the insurance provider will want to know lots of intimate details about your employees.

However, health insurance is too important a purchase to be made in haste, and the more the insurance provider knows about the insured, the better for them. By taking the time before relocating to provide the necessary information for the most efficient cover possible, they can focus on their assignment without the niggling worry that any medical claim they make will require further underwriting.

Both underwriting options have a similar outcome, and moratorium is not without its advantages, but peace of mind is crucial in new and potentially volatile surroundings and full medical underwriting goes a long way to deliver this.

Last year, Americans spent almost $1.4 billion on over-the-counter drugs, prescription drugs and IVF procedures aimed at improving their infertility and increasing their chances for getting pregnant, and to treat other Infertility related symptoms.

The Infertility industry reaches billions in sales each and every year. and there are hundreds of manufacturing companies that produce thousands of different products which are consumed by nearly 12 million women in the United States alone who have Infertility issues!

With billions at stake, these pharmaceutical companies will tell you anything to get you to buy their products. They deceive couples with statistics and so called advances in research just to keep you buying what they are selling so becoming pregnant this way will take a miracle.

Taking these drugs and paying for all these ongoing fertility procedures, all mean a lot of money for your doctor, the hospital, and the drug and pharmaceutical companies. The potential complications from the surgeries along with all the side effects caused by the drugs you've been prescribed are also translated into a huge profits.

If you have been trying to get pregnant and have been experiencing what I just described, then you may need to ask yourself, is our doctor really trying to help us to conceive or is he just trying to keep us coming back to make more money from our insurance company or is he using us for research purposes.

Getting pregnant should be a very exciting and positive experience for all couples who want to have a baby, but the stress and frustration of infertility can actually cause a couple to break up rather than grow closer. Emotions of guilt and anger will eventually take a toll if the lines are communication are not kept open. Making sure both partners have a clear understanding of how far they are willing to go and what they are willing to do in order to conceive a child is critical to surviving the entire process and staying together. Couples absolutely need to research what is involved in fertility procedures before agreeing to the process. Ask yourselves can we handle the costs, can the husband handle producing sperm samples whenever requested, can the woman handle the painful injections and high levels of hormones which cause extreme mood swings in many women, can the woman or wife handle being poked and prodded and investigated like some sort of a science experiment, and most of all can the marriage hold up through the entire process and possibly have to accept the same diagnosis and prognosis of infertility after going through all the tests, and surgery, etc.

The information in this article only scratches the surface as to what is actually experienced and involved in fertility procedures. There are so many mental and physical sacrifices which have to be made than are mentioned in this article.

With all this being said, would it not be a wonderful reality to experience pregnancy without going through such a stressful and negative life changing and emotional process. If you have been trying without success to become pregnant now you can, there is a cure for infertility, and you can experience a pregnancy miracle.

Even though modern medicine has made great progress in the area of infertility and has helped many couples to conceive by way of surgery and medications; however, in many cases the results are still the same and couples are left feeling helpless and hopeless. For those couples, there is an answer which does not involve more medicines, more surgeries and more visits to the doctor's office.

If you have been diagnosed or have experienced any of the following issues of infertility there are answers and solutions to reverse or remedy all of them. YOU CAN CURE YOUR INFERTILITY.

1. Tubal Obstruction
2. High Levels of FSH
3. Endometriosis
4. Uterine Fibroids
5. Ovarian Cysts
6. Have has a miscarriage
7. Male has low sperm count
8. Are in you late 30's or 40's
9. Uterine Scarring
10. Have PCOS

Do not give up on becoming pregnant. There is a natural, safe, and effective way which has been proven over and over to cure infertility, and the proof is in the testimonies of the women who suffered with infertility for years but now have happy and healthy babies. If you have tried everything else, you have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.

Hospital bills can create financial difficulties for the best of families and they are usually expenses we are not expecting, or can be prepared for. When people are confined to the hospital they also lose wages unless they still have vacations or sick days left. Lost wages on top of medical bills cause even more financial strain. What can families do to protect themselves against a crisis like this?

One way to protect your finances from being depleted by unpaid hospital bills is to purchase a hospital confinement indemnity policy. A hospital confinement indemnity insurance policy is a supplemental policy that can help with unpaid expenses. And they don't necessarily have to be medical expenses.

A hospital confinement plan pays a lump sum to the policy holder and the policy holder can spend that money any way they choose. It could go to cover the out-of-pocket expense, and deductibles left over from the regular heath insurance, or it can be used to buy groceries. The whole purpose is to have money to meet needs during this time.

When you purchase a hospital confinement indemnity insurance plan you will see there are set amounts paid for each hospital confinement, so you know how much money you are going to get. You can also purchase policies that will cover outpatient surgery and ambulance transportation.

It is important to have a supplemental policy so that your medical bills always get paid in full. If they are not, unpaid medical bills can hurt your credit score. The more bills that are listed on your credit report, the lower it goes. These bad marks stay on your credit report for seven years.

By purchasing a supplemental hospital confinement indemnity plan you can rest assured that you will have money for everything you need when you, or someone in your family is hurt or sick.

A hospital confinement indemnity insurance plan is not meant to replace regular health insurance, it should be in addition to health insurance. Supplemental policies are less expensive than full blown policies and make a nice addition to your health care package. If you don't have enough savings to live on for six months, if incapacitated, then you really need to look into purchasing a supplemental policy.

Pregnancy is that wonderful time in a woman's life that is memorable, whether it is the first one or second, or even third. Each pregnancy is a whole new experience. No matter how prepared the mother-to-be is, she needs to know whether she is ready for the amazing changes it brings mentally, emotionally and physically.

Naturally, the first thing you would look for if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant is a comprehensive guide to pregnancy that can be your best friend throughout those critical nine months. But let us first find out whether you are ready to get pregnant. We can categorize this into being ready emotionally and physically so that you are mentally prepared.

Being emotionally prepared for pregnancy:

It is no news that parenthood is a 24-hour job. Having a child brings with it changes in lifestyle that you must accept cheerfully most of the time. You might have to make sacrifices like giving up on free time, sleeping late on holidays, etc.

Your partner and you must basically agree on a variety of issues. If there are disagreements, now is the time to talk about them before you conceive. Unless you do this, you cannot prepare yourself emotionally. After all, pregnancy is a major decision and you don't want to have any concerns about it later.

Do not get pressurized into pregnancy simply because your partner is keen. It is important for both your partner and you to look forward to being parents. Suppose you are not in a relationship, you need to be emotionally ready to be a single parent. If you happen to be studying, think about where your baby will fit in.

Another issue to think about now is religious differences if any, since these affect your baby. You also want to be emotionally prepared to be loving parents to a child who has special needs. Think about childcare if both you and your partner go out to work. Discuss all this with your partner.

Being physically prepared for pregnancy:

You definitely want to be in good shape through your pregnancy. To do this, you need to understand that the health of your baby will depend on your health as well as your partner's. Did you know that your baby's organs start forming in the first four weeks of pregnancy even before you realize you are pregnant? So before you conceive, there are many things you can do from your side to ensure the best for your baby. These are:

• Take folic acid daily before your pregnancy


• Get a thorough check up both with your physician and dentist


• Make sure you eat healthy


• Give up smoking and this includes passive smoke


• Stop alcohol


• Stop non-prescription drugs


• Stay healthy, avoiding infections that can harm your baby


• Discuss your family health history with your physician


• Be relaxed and avoid stress

When you are prepared for your pregnancy, it can be the best time of your life!

Note: The information here is not intended to replace your doctor's advice. If you have any concerns about your pregnancy, please contact your doctor.

You desperately want a baby, and are considering In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), but your insurance does not cover the treatments, and you don't have $20,000 in spare cash. There are banks who may loan you the money. Should you consider financing to pay for your IVF treatments? Not without hedging your bets. If your IVF treatments work, repaying that loan may be much harder than you think.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 per treatment cycle. Many couples have major medical insurance, but most plans do not cover IVF at all. Fifteen states mandate some level of infertility treatment coverage, but some state exclude IVF, and each law has plenty of loopholes. Then there are those couples who work for employers headquartered in one of the thirty five states with no mandate at all.

With IVF insurance coverage so hard to find, most couples must pay IVF expenses completely out of their own pocket. The majority of U.S. households are living check to check. They spend all or most of what they make, and have little in savings. This is even more common with couples looking to start a family. They may have recently entered the workforce, have yet to hit their peak earning years, and have had little time to accumulate assets. Then they are faced with a huge bill for IVF.

Should you take out a loan to pay for your In Vitro Fertilization treatments? You are playing with fire if you do, but there are ways to mitigate the risks with supplemental insurance. If your IVF treatments fail, you repay the loan over time. The bank qualified you for a certain amount based upon your credit score and income, and you handle the payments comfortably. No sweat.

Suppose you conceive and deliver a healthy baby! Mom missed twelve weeks of work for her pregnancy and maternity leave, and now you have the extra expenses of feeding, clothing, and raising your child. When the loan payments come due, where does the money come from?

What if you conceive, but experience pregnancy complications, and your baby is born premature? Mom may be hospitalized and/or miss significant time from work before her delivery. Your baby may spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), leaving you with lots of left over medical bills. Then you have the extra expenses of feeding, clothing, and raising your child. Now you are in real trouble when the loan payments come due.

Supplemental IVF Insurance pays cash directly to you when your infertility treatments work, and provides extra benefits in case of complications.

Although it is important for everyone to have a health insurance, it is particularly important in the context of pregnant women. The reason is obvious: there are many things that can go wrong during pregnancy, or could be made better if the woman is aware of certain facts. Therefore, it is essential that pregnant women periodically receive check-ups in order to make sure the pregnancy is progressing properly and there are no detectable problems with their unborn child.

Unfortunately, many pregnant women do not have health insurance. It has been statistically shown that when they deliver, their babies are more likely to have low birth weight and higher incidents of death.

Getting an insurance while pregnant has become significant today because of the towering cost of health insurance in the United States. According to the American Health Association, 41 million Americans are not insured, and around 13% pregnant women in the country do not possess any form of health insurance. This puts these women and their unborn children at risk.

Prenatal checkups can be very expensive, not to mention hospital and delivery charges which could cost $10,000 or more. Furthermore, if there are complications, such as premature birth or the woman requires a cesarean section, the costs would be much greater. Therefore, it is strongly recommended for pregnant women to find a way to obtain health insurance.

The problem is that most companies do not accept new insurance policies from pregnant women whose pregnancy has been assessed as a pre-existing condition. Ideally, if you are a woman and you know you wish to get pregnant, things would be much easier for you if you got health insurance before you got pregnant. That being said, if you are uninsured and found out you are pregnant, here are some useful tips that could help you obtain health insurance:

First, shop around - search the internet - for health insurance companies who can provide pregnancy health coverage and discounted health care coverage. It is easy to get free instant quotes from multiple providers. Some may very well be more affordable than others.

Second, there are some federally funded programs which offer healthcare coverage for low income people. Medicaid, for example, allows you to enroll in a health insurance plan even when you are pregnant. An additional program is CHIP. Some states have specialized programs for this purpose: investigate whether your state offers one.

Third, look for additional benefits provided by other agencies. WIC is a federal agency that offers health services to low income women and children under 5, and also provides food supplements.

Finally, if you are in a position where you have several options, make sure you choose your plan carefully: choose the plan which covers all the benefits you may require. For example a hospital-only plan will not cover visits to a physician's clinic.

For couples who decide to put an end to unsuccessful infertility treatment, surrogacy is a good option to parent a child. It's the closest to having a biological child of your own when all other options fail, with the added benefit of letting you participate closely in your baby's gestation and birth. Surrogacy, referred to as 'assisted reproduction' also benefits women who have no uterus or have a damaged one.

What is Surrogacy?
Surrogacy is the process where in another woman helps to carry your child in the event that you are unable to conceive or carry a child of your own. The surrogate mother is willing to be impregnated by InVitro Fertilization (IVF) procedure and then carries the resulting baby for the 'Intended Parents.' After the birth of the child the surrogate mother relinquishes all her parental rights to the child.

Gestational Surrogacy
Gestational surrogacy is also referred to as host surrogacy since the surrogate mother is not biologically related to the child, but merely acts as host for the embryo. This is a good option for women who can produce eggs for fertilization but are unable to carry a child to term. In this type of surrogacy, the sperm and eggs are provided by the intended parents or by sperm or egg donors. The surrogate is implanted with the fertilized embryo through in-vitro fertilization.

Surrogacy Cost
Surrogacy is a costly option for infertile couples. The intended parents have to bear all the expenses of the surrogate's pregnancy and related fees that would cover surrogate screening and counseling, lost wages, insurance, surrogate's transportation, surrogate agency and attorney fees. The other vital expenses include:
o The cost of fertility treatments needed to begin the pregnancy, which may include in-vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination
o Prenatal visits with health care providers
o The cost of delivery
o Food, medicines, and clothing required for the surrogate
o The initial supplies for the baby before the hand-over
Surrogate agencies charge anything in the range of $38,000 to $54,000 as fees, sometimes more or less. This would also typically include legal fees and the cost of paperwork.

Legal Issues in Surrogacy
Before the surrogacy relationship is established between the intended parents and the surrogate, it is necessary to sign a surrogacy contract defining the procedures, expenses, and legal parental rights. Legal concerns are of the utmost importance while pursuing surrogacy.

In Conclusion
Despite the significant financial burden, and the long drawn out processes, surrogacy is a satisfying option for many couples. However finding a suitable surrogate is not easy and the whole process of surrogacy itself is an emotionally-draining one. The necessary psychological assessment and detailed explanation about expectations is vital for a positive outcome of the process.

At East Bay Fertility Center, Dublin, California, Dr. Ellen U. Snowden, Medical Director and physician and her highly qualified team help realize your dream of having a family through the latest technology and most comprehensive consultation in the field of Reproductive Endocrinology. Our gestational surrogacy program is based on personalized care and support, every step of the way. Visit us at http://www.ebfertility.com for all your fertility related queries and concerns.