Oh, baby! MESSA coverage for pregnancy, birth and beyond

MESSA provides peace of mind during your most precious times

If you’re thinking about having a baby or already expecting, you’re preparing for an exciting and life-changing experience. MESSA is here to support you through all of life’s important stages, providing exceptional benefits and peace of mind.

It’s a busy time, and you’re certain to have questions about your MESSA health benefits, pregnancy and parental leave, short-term disability, and more. MESSA’s pregnancy and childbirth benefits include:

• Prenatal and postnatal care
• Newborn care
• Breast pumps and lactation support
• Ovia Health apps
• Short-term disability
• Supplemental Hospital Indemnity plan
• Adding your new family member to your MESSA plan

Prenatal and postnatal care

• All MESSA health plans cover prenatal and postnatal office visits with in-network providers at no cost to you.
• Ultrasounds, labs, delivery and other services are subject to your plan’s deductible, copayments and/or coinsurance.
• Prenatal vitamins and other pregnancy-related medications are covered according to the terms of your prescription coverage.
• If you have a MESSA ABC or MESSA Balance+ health plan, prenatal vitamins are included in the list of free preventive prescriptions. You can view the list at messa.org/FreeRx.

Newborn care

• A newborn’s first routine physical exam at the hospital must be provided by a doctor other than the anesthesiologist or the attending physician.
• Well-baby visits from an in-network provider are covered at no cost to you.
• MESSA covers—at no cost—all vaccinations recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, when they are administered by an in-network provider. (Guidelines are subject to change.)
• All other medical care is subject to your plan’s deductible, copayments and coinsurance, including office visits, specialist visits and/or hospitalization if your child is ill.

Breast pumps and lactation support

All MESSA plans cover one breast pump per birth with a prescription from your provider. The details differ based on your health plan:

Ovia Health apps

Through MESSA, you have free access to a trio of apps offered by Ovia Health.

Learn more at messa.org/Ovia.

Short-term disability

Paid parental leave is uncommon, so you’ll probably use a combination of short-term disability, paid leave (sick leave, vacation and personal days) or unpaid leave during your time away from work.

Short-term disability is meant to cover a portion of your salary during the time you’re away from work. However, you must purchase it before you become pregnant. If you have short-term disability coverage through MESSA, please note that it does not grant you extra leave, but it does provide some payment for your leave.

Benefits can be paid for six or eight weeks, depending on type of delivery you have. You can purchase short-term disability coverage with a 7-day or 28-day waiting period. Benefits are paid after the waiting period expires, and the waiting period is included in the six- or eight-week period, so plan accordingly.

Supplemental Hospital Indemnity plan

MESSA offers three supplemental plans to complement your MESSA medical benefits by providing cash payouts for hospitalizations, injuries or illnesses for MESSA members and covered dependents.

The Hospital Indemnity plan pays benefits when you or a covered dependent have a hospital stay due to childbirth, as well as an illness, injury or surgery. If you are enrolled in the plan, you will receive a lump sum amount for admission and a daily cash benefit for your covered hospital stay.

Learn more about MESSA’s supplemental plans at messa.org/supplemental.

Adding your new family member to your MESSA plan

It’s important to add your new dependent(s) to your health plan within a specified timeframe to ensure they are covered. Contact your employer for instructions on adding new dependents.

Here is some helpful guidance:

• New baby: Add your new baby to your health plan within 30 days of birth.
• Adoption: Your adopted child can be enrolled prior to your final adoption date. When adding a child that is in the process of being adopted, you may be required to provide one of the following documents:
  • An order from a court stating the child has been placed in your home for purposes of adoption.
  • A legally binding contract between the adoptive parents and the adoption agency.
  • You must provide the final adoption papers once the process is complete.
• Legal guardianship: A child becomes an eligible dependent on the date that you are appointed guardian by a probate court judge.

MESSA is here to help

We just shared a lot of information with you. If you have any questions your specific MESSA health plan and how it supports you during this exciting time, please contact our award-winning Member Service Center at 800-336-0013, or connect with us via live chat in your MyMESSA member account or the MESSA app. You can also contact your MESSA field representative at 800-292-4910. No question is too big or too small, and we are here to help.