CAUTION!

The Texas attorney general’s office has filed a lawsuit accusing an Austin company of selling fraudulent discount health card plans to pregnant women, the office announced Monday.

The lawsuit claims that Austin-based AHCO Direct, also known as: Affordable HealthCare Options, and that its owners, Brian McDonald and Aaron Bouren, sold fake discount cards to uninsured pregnant women that promised to cover up to 60 percent of maternity-related costs.

The two are accused of multiple violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Abbott said in a statement.

The cards were marketed to uninsured pregnant women via Google ads, the lawsuit said.

One client of this company said: "AHCO advertises to provide maternity discount programs to persons who are pregnant without insurance coverage, and/or persons who do not qualify for state medicaid plans. I contacted the organization in 07/2008 to and paid the enrollmen fee of $199.00 with monthly payments of $90.00 thereafter. ACHCO was to set me up with a physician/clinic where I could use there discount card.

"Upon contacting the clinic I was referred to by AHCO, I was advised they do not accept this program. I returned back to AHCO, who states they now cannot assist me because I am too far along in my pregnancy. This information was made available to AHCO prior to enrollment, and there website states they are able to assist persons who are already pregnant right on the homepage. I requested a refund of my enrollment fee, and cancellation from AHCO because they could not provide me with what I have purchased, which was a doctor to use their program with.

"AHCO has refused to refund my money, and cancel my membership. Furthermore, they have mislead the clinic they set me up with to believe that they are actually an insurance company, and now this clinic refuses to schedule me for a financial appointment.

"They state AHCO has advised them I have insurance. Because of AHCO’s misleading statements, I am without ANY prenatal care at all. No one will assist me until I provide a cancellation letter from AHCO, saying they are not insurance, and that I am not covered by them. This has now become a health concern, as I cannot see a doctor."

The company (companies) is/are now operating from http://www.maternitysavings.com and http://www.maternityadvantage.com and their two phone numbers are: 800-481-0418 and 800-528-9702 If the rep doesn't acknowledge you have the correct phone number, then ask for a supervisor!

The following article
is not intended as legal advice,
only to stimulate your mind to discover other options.

The Problem:

"I just discovered that I am pregnant and have no insurance.
Was denied from Kaiser in Febuary after a miscarriage in January.
Need insurance desperately. Lower the price the better, thanks."

The Response

I'm afraid your situation is pretty bleak as far as insurance goes.
Every insurance company I know of will now treat this as PREexisting.
I'll deal with the most positive recourses, then proceed to lesser permutations.

Options

#1: In California a couple options are:

AIM - Aid to Infants and Mothers

Enrollment Information:
916-324-4695 / 800-433-2611
Eligibility info:
Northern CA 1-800-300-1031
Southern CA 858-492-4422

Baby CAL 1800-222-9999

#2: You can go to work for a company with group insurance coverage by HMO.

#3: You can go to work for a LARGE company with group insurance which may (or may not) accept you.

#4: You can make application for a quote from all the quotes companies I list on
http://www.talewins.com/Life/protect.htm and indicate you are pregnant.

#5: Check with your local Medicaid office and see if you qualify.
http://www.hcfa.gov/
http://www.hcfa.gov/medicaid/medicaid.htm
http://www.hcfa.gov/init/children.htm

Check with WIC to see if you qualify. WIC is effective in improving the health of pregnant women, new mothers, and their infants. A 1990 study showed that women who participated in the program during their pregnancies had lower Medicaid costs for themselves and their babies than did women who did not participate. WIC participation was also linked with longer gestation periods, higher birthweights and lower infant mortality.

#6: Check NOW to see if there is a University Hospital near you. Sign up immediately, and begin paying for the pregnancy in advance.

#7: Check the doctors and the clinics in your area to see about alternatives.

#8, See if you have enough equity in your home to pay for the delivery.

#9: Call on your family for assistance, then on your local religious leader.

#10: If you are a self-employed individual you may claim a special deduction for health insurance on your form 1040 of 45% of amounts you pay during the taxable year. You may be able to use this as a means of proving to relatives or doctors that you can pay back their loan.

#11: borrow on your credit cards.

#12: Contact your state's Department of Insurance ( http://www.talewins.com/Life/res.htm ) and file a complaint on the insurance company which dropped you.

#13: HIPAA ( Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ) only covers group insurance, while employers with less than 20 employees are not required by law to offer COBRA. If either of these are applicable, contact your employer, or former employer as the case may be.

#14: Go to http://www.talewins.com/Life/Nonins.htm and sign up with either of the companies there.

#15: Maternity Card is a product from Affordable Healthcare Options specifically developed to help pregnant women afford the ever-increasing expenses for woman who do NOT have or can't obtain maternity health insurance. Maternity Card can slash the costs up to 60% *(0%-60%).

Last, but not least -- I don't know if this applies to you or not,
but the chances are negligible that you can add this cost to your
boyfriend's insurance, or make his employer responsible in any
way for paying for this. Afterwards, there is more chance.

Lin Stone is an author, writer and photographer living in Noble, Oklahoma. In his spare time Lin writes copy for insurance roundup. You can have immediate, and free, reading of many more pieces when you send your little surfer scooting to Lin's home page at http://www.talewins.com/StoneSoup.htm where he keeps stirring up more good things for the soul.

Here are some other resources available on
The National Insurance Resource Pages right now.