Insurance for newborn

[Russki]

Hi here
I'm expecting my first child abroad in seven weeks. Problem is, i'm not insured for maternity care (my health plan is a basic cover only, and pregnancy was unexpected) and my husband's comprehensive one doesn't cover me. So, my question is, is there a way of ensuring that the baby is insured from day one - which could be critical if, for example, he/she is premature (I'm having a late amnio, so that's a possibility) and has to spend time in intensive care? In any case, there is a small risk that the baby will have to spend time in intensive care b/c of other issues. I thought of coming back to the UK for the birth, but I am no longer registered with a UK doctor, because I have been living out of the country for five years, and so suspect i'd be treated as a health tourist.

If anyone with experience of this could give a pointer or two, it'd be much appreciated.

Without you saying what country you are in it would be hard to get advice. I am not sure why your husband has a policy that doesn't cover his family but that is by the by.
Perhaps if you say where you are there might be other posters who know how the system there works.
You're leaving it a bit late to come back to the UK and as you say, you aren't entitled to NHS treatment. If you turned up in labour at a hospital they would be obliged to treat you not let you give birth in the car park, but I have no idea what happens next and you could end up being liable for bills. Also you are almost too late to be flying to the UK and are unlikely to get a fit to fly certificate if your pregnancy has already not been uncomplicated.

Thanks for your reply - I'm in Israel, and had been planning to give birth in the Palestinian territories, but they lack an NICU, and so they have advised that I consider giving birth elsewhere. Israel is rather like the US, as I understand it - citizens are almost all insured, but I am neither a resident nor a citizen. I'm not on my husband's healthcare plan, as we only married seven months ago, and i fell pregnant almost immediately and quite unexpectedly.

Hi,
I don't know about Israel, but in the US most insurance plans consider the birth of a child (or marriage for that matter) as a major life change which entitles you to alter your plan. Your husband should check-he may be able to add both you and your new baby to his insurance as of the birth.
Good luck!

ring them up - with our insurance the baby was covered from birth but we needed to send the birth certificate in quite quickly if we were claiming on it

You ought to contact a broker. I would email so that you have their response in writing in case they try to deny the claim subsequently.