Insurers Denying Coverage, Raising Premiums for Women After C-Section

Last week the New York Times reported on a trend in which some insurers have begun denying individual health coverage to women who have had c-section deliveries, on the basis that these women are likely to undergo the procedure in subsequent births. In these cases, a cesarean section is classified as a pre-existing condition, and some insurers are codifying a provision that excludes coverage for a certain period of time. Many insurers who do accept women with a prior c-section are charging higher premiums because of this history. As the Times reports, many ob/gyns do not deliver VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) patients for a host of reasons, including the rare but potentially fatal complication of uterine rupture. The report also notes the disparity in healthcare costs, with c-section deliveries costing patients and insurance companies significantly more than vaginal births.

For the Times story, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/health/01insure.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1212329066-DLrBAsjKWs16k14Tzq/0kw&oref=slogin

For coverage of this issue from the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN), go to http://www.ican-online.org/