Best Health Insurance for Pregnant Women (2026)

MoneyGeek’s analysis of the best health insurance providers for pregnant women shows trade-offs between cost, network strength and how much you could pay at delivery. Ambetter charges $536 per month and stands out for prenatal and postpartum benefits but has the highest deductible and maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) costs, so you'll pay more out-of-pocket. Blue Cross Blue Shield offers the lowest premium at $393 with strong provider networks if you want to keep trusted doctors. Kaiser Permanente costs $439 monthly but pairs that with the lowest deductible and MOOP, which can ease bills if labor or newborn care is complex.

These estimates reflect Silver-tier Marketplace plans for a 26-year-old pregnant woman and are based on MoneyGeek’s sample profile. Your actual premium, deductible and out-of-pocket costs will depend on your state, income, household size, tobacco use and chosen insurer.

Comparing health plans while pregnant feels overwhelming, but three numbers tell you what matters most. Your monthly premium determines your regular payment. Your deductible shows what you'll pay before coverage starts sharing costs for prenatal visits and ultrasounds. Your out-of-pocket maximum caps expenses if complications mean a longer hospital stay. Use the table below to compare plans from multiple insurers, filtered by plan type and metal tier.

Health insurance costs per month for pregnant women vary by plan type. POS plans average $529 per month while PPO plans cost around $632 per month. That extra $100 per month for PPO coverage usually buys more flexibility to see specialists or out-of-network providers. If you mostly use in-network care, you may prefer POS or HMO plans and put the savings toward prenatal classes, baby gear or a stronger emergency fund.

Health insurance covers prenatal care, delivery and postpartum visits. You'll pay nothing for ultrasounds, genetic screenings, glucose tests and blood work with in-network providers. Labor and delivery are covered, whether you have a vaginal birth or C-section. Coverage extends to complications like gestational diabetes or preeclampsia, plus postpartum care including breastfeeding support and breast pumps

The best health insurance for pregnant women balances cost and coverage. While the ACA guarantees access, plan details matter for your wallet. Ambetter's comprehensive prenatal care costs $536 monthly with higher deductibles. Kaiser Permanente's lower $2,032 deductible reduces your financial burden from unexpected delivery expenses.

We've answered some of the frequently asked questions about best health insurance for pregnant women to make securing comprehensive coverage easier:

Choosing health insurance during pregnancy means balancing monthly costs with delivery expenses that can reach $30,000 or more without coverage. Prenatal visits, ultrasounds and unexpected complications create financial pressure when you're already preparing for a new family member. We designed our analysis to identify which insurers provide the best value for expectant mothers navigating maternity coverage. 

We compared health insurance companies using three factors weighted by importance to pregnant women:   

Affordability score (50%): Healthcare costs impact your budget most when planning for delivery and newborn expenses. We evaluate three cost factors that roll up into your overall affordability score:   

• Monthly premium: The provider with the lowest average monthly cost scores highest since reducing premiums frees up money for baby expenses.
• Deductible: The amount you pay before insurance covers costs. Lower deductibles score highest since delivery costs hit immediately when you need coverage most.
• Maximum out-of-pocket: The MOOP caps what you'll pay annually beyond premiums. Lower MOOPs score better since complications during pregnancy or delivery can create unexpected bills.

Quality score (40%): We evaluated plan performance using pregnancy-specific metrics to ensure expectant mothers get appropriate medical care. The Quality Rating System provides a 5-star rating measuring medical care, member experience and plan administration. Prenatal and Postpartum Care Score shows how effectively plans support early and proactive pregnancy care. Timeliness of Prenatal Care Score assesses whether new mothers receive timely follow-up care after childbirth, including depression screening, contraception counseling and recovery checks. Providers with higher scores rank better.

Denial rate score (10%): Fewer denials mean less hassle getting prenatal care and delivery coverage approved when you need it most. Insurers with lower denial rates score highest. 

How We Score Different Plan Types and Metal Tiers 
We normalized scores within each category for fair comparisons. The top insurer in each group receives a 5 out of 5, with others scored proportionally. 

We used Silver EPO plans to identify our best overall pick, best for prenatal and postpartum care, and best for low deductible. However, each plan type (HMO, PPO, EPO and POS) and metal tier (Catastrophic, Bronze, Expanded Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum) is scored independently.

In some cases, we adjusted the weightings as follows: 

For "Best Health Insurance for Prenatal and Postpartum Care," we increased the quality rating score weighting to 60%, decreased the affordability score to 30%, and kept other categories the same.

For "Best Health Insurance With Low Deductible," we increased the deductible score weighting to 30% and decreased the premium score to 10%.   

Sample Consumer 

MoneyGeek collected data on all available health plans for consumers ages 18, 26, 40, 50 and 60. Monthly premiums are based on a 26-year-old buyer, unless otherwise noted. We analyzed costs using data from federal and state marketplaces and downloaded plan data directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Plan data was updated with the CMS exchange data released in November for the 2026 enrollment period.