Health insurance, as with most types of insurance, is designed to provide a person with financial protection in the event of an unepected' illness or injury. There are health insurance policies that will provide maternity benefits, but only if conception occurs later than the effective date of your coverage. Some health plans have waiting periods of one year to be eligible for maternity coverage and other health plans offer no maternity coverage at all. If you choose not to purchase health insurance until you have a need for it, it is most likely too late. Compare this to auto insurance, which most people do not consider going without, primarily due to state regulations that require all licensed drivers to be insured. If you do not have auto insurance, and you are involved in an accident, would it be possible to purchase auto insurance 'after-the-fact' and epect that insurance company to pay for your accident? Of course not. Well, health insurance is no different. So, what are your options? You will either need to find a health insurance plan that is 'guaranteed issue' or contact your State Department of Insurance to see if they have any state sponsored plans specifically designed for your situation. A guaranteed issue plan is one that will insure you, regardless of your current health status. The most common type of guaranteed issue health insurance is employer sponsored Small Business. If you were to obtain employment with a company that offers employee health benefits, you may be eligible for maternity benefits under their group plan. However, there may also be an eclusion or waiting period on pre-eisting conditions, such as pregnancy. If you currently have Small Business available to you, through an employer or the employer of a spouse, you need to find out when the open enrollment period is so you can be added to the plan during that window. If this is an option, review the maternity benefits in advance to make sure they will provide you with the level of coverage you epect.'