How to Add a Newborn onto a Health Insurance Policy
If your family’s expanding, congratulations!
Welcoming a new baby home is an exciting time, and there are tasks to check off to ensure your baby stays safe and protected health-wise.
In this article, learn how to add a newborn to your
family life insurance policy, whether it’s your own
individual health insurance policy or the one your spouse holds.
Key Takeaways
- You have 60 days after the birth of a baby to sign them up on a health insurance plan in your family. Otherwise, the special enrollment period for health insurance will end, and you’ll have to wait until the next open enrollment.
- To sign your newborn up on your insurance policy, you’ll need their full name, date of birth and Social Security number, once you receive it.
- As long as you sign your baby up for a health insurance policy within the 60-day period after their birth, their health insurance policy will apply retroactively to the date of their birth.
1. Notify Your Broker/Agent
As soon as you know you’ll be adding a baby to the family, let your health insurance broker or carrier know. If you get health insurance through work, talk with your human resources representative who set up health insurance for you. Otherwise, contact your broker or the provider directly.
You have 60 days once the baby is born to backdate and add your infant onto your policy. If you wait until after the special enrollment period has ended, your child won’t be able to get insurance coverage until the next enrollment period, which could result in a costly gap in coverage. Plan for health insurance as soon as you can in the pregnancy, so you can sign up quickly post-birth.
Take comfort in that as long as you get the coverage during the specific time, anything that happens within that 60 days will be covered retroactively.
2. Provide the Appropriate Information
You’ll need your newborn’s full name and date of birth to add them to your policy. When you receive their Social Security number, reach back out to your broker. They’ll need to add that, as well, to the application. If you’re asked to upload a copy of the Social Security number card, your agent/broker can upload this for you.
3. Review Coverage Options
Any significant life change is a great opportunity to review your insurance coverage and make sure it’s still a plan that works for you, as well. You may have signed up for the wrong health insurance plan for a growing family, but you can switch to something better. Talk with your agent/broker about what other plans might be worth considering, so you can compare your options.
Keep in mind, if you’ve already met your deductible on your current plan, it may make sense to stay on the same policy. Once you meet your deductible, you’ve already made enough payments for insurance coverage to kick in. Changing plans may require re-having to pay toward a deductible. Talk with your broker if you have questions.
4. Get Confirmation
Once you’ve provided all the personal identifying information for your baby, your agent/broker will confirm the addition of your newborn to your policy. Their health insurance coverage begins starting from their date of birth, as long as the baby is added within 60 days of being born.
Contact Us for Help Signing Your Baby Up for Health Insurance
If you’ve recently expanded your family or plan on doing so soon, give the team at AZ Health Insurance Brokers a call. We can help you sign up for health insurance, dental insurance, and/or a life insurance policy to protect your legacy for your family. We can show you different plan options that may make more sense compared to your current plan.
We can ensure your new baby gets signed up for your health insurance plan as soon as possible, whether they’re due to be born or have recently arrived. Contact us online, call 602.617.4107, or email quotes@azhealthinsurancebrokers.com. We’ll be in touch.
Baby Health Insurance FAQs
When to tell insurance about baby?
The earlier you can notify your insurance broker or carrier about a new baby, the better. That gives you time to plan and compare insurance plans, in case you might want to switch to a different plan. You have to apply for health insurance for a newborn within 60 days of the baby’s birth in order for coverage to retroactively kick in. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until the next open enrollment period to get health insurance for your baby.
Does your deductible start over when you have a baby?
That depends on if you stay on your previous plan and add your baby to it, or if you get a new plan altogether. Most health insurance plans have categories for individual and family deductibles, as well as in-network and out-of-network deductibles. The medical expenses associated with giving birth will likely enable most people to pay at least their medical deductible throughout the year. That’s why, if you’ve met your medical deductible, it may be best to stay with your current insurance plan, rather than change to one where you’ll have to start over paying a deductible.
Does baby go on mom or dad’s insurance?
Whatever insurance policy the mother has will automatically cover the baby’s delivery and childbirth expenses. While most insurance policies will provide automatic coverage for a newborn for the first 30 days, parents are responsible for their baby within 60 days of the date of birth in order to guarantee coverage.
Do you have to wait until baby is born to add to insurance?
Yes. You’ll have 60 days within the date of your baby’s birth to add them to an insurance plan. You can talk to your insurance broker earlier than the birth, because you may be interested in switching your health insurance plan to a family plan that works better for your growing family. Talking with a broker earlier on gives you the chance to compare other plans.
Can I add my wife to insurance after having a baby?
Yes, typically, childbirth is considered a special event that triggers a special enrollment period, during which your wife could be added to your health insurance plan. This doesn’t typically happen during the pregnancy, but once the child is born, the special enrollment period can enable both your wife and child to be added to your plan.
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11024 N. 28th Dr. , STE 240
Phoenix, Arizona 85029
602.617.4107
AZ Health Insurance Brokers has experienced insurance advisors here to assist you with all of your insurance needs and questions. We will gladly help you find the answers to your insurance questions and help you find the right insurance plan for your needs. Also, AZ Health Insurance Brokers will never give out or sell your information to other companies.