Operating Engineers Health & Welfare Fund

Maternity Benefits

 

Physician Care

Midwife

Birthing Centers

Care of Newborns

Voluntary Sterilization

Adoption

Fetal Monitoring

Hospital Care

For a Better Benefit use PPO providers

Newborns & Mothers Health
Protection Act

 


MATERNITY BENEFITS

Maternity benefits are provided for the pregnancy of a dependent spouse or female Operating Engineer on the same basis as any other illness or disability.   There are no benefits available for any charges related to the pregnancy or suspected pregnancy of a dependent daughter, including miscarriage and abortion.


If you are pregnant on the date eligibility terminates, benefits for hospital and obstetrical care will be payable as if eligibility had not terminated for a period of up to 90 days after the end of the pregnancy. In other words, the Fund will pay for the delivery of the child (physician and hospital) even though the employee previously lost eligibility.  However, charges for the dependent baby will not be covered under this special provision.  

There are no benefits available for services related to artificial insemination or in-vitro fertilization.

PHYSICIAN

Through the Fund's Fee-for-Service Plan, the Fund will pay 100% of the allowed amount listed in the Surgical Schedule toward the Doctor's charges for "Total OB Care." The Fund does NOT pre-pay medical benefits in maternity cases.  Payments are made after the birth of the child.  Fees for anesthesia will be reimbursed at 100% of the Scheduled Benefit after satisfaction of the calendar year deductible, if applicable.

 

MIDWIFE

Through the Fund's Fee-for-Service Plan, the fund does cover the services of Licensed Midwives at 80% of the Reasonable and Customary fee for their service after satisfaction of the calendar year deductible, if applicable.  

 

BIRTHING CENTERS

Birthing centers provide an alternative to hospital delivery.  They are often separate from a hospital and provide a homelike environment.  The Plan provides maternity benefits for birthing centers.  Charges are paid at 100% of the reasonable and customary fees, with a $1,200 maximum per delivery, and the deductible will be waived.  The $1,200 benefit includes the baby's hospital charges.

 

 

CARE OF NEWBORNS

All hospital services and supplies necessary for the care of a newborn child during hospital confinement, including routine nursery care, will be paid in accordance with the hospital benefits described below.  The employee must be eligible at the time of service in order for these benefits to be provided.

 

VOLUNTARY STERILIZATION

The Fund will cover Voluntary Sterilization.  It will not cover the reversal of voluntary sterilization.

Benefits for the surgical procedure are paid at 100% of the listed amount in the Surgical Schedule after satisfaction of the calendar year deductible, if applicable.

 

 

ADOPTION

The Fund will provide medical and hospital benefits toward charges for the birth of a child who is in the process of being legally adopted by the participant.  The Fund will NOT cover the birth mother's charges.

REQUIREMENTS:

 

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Adoption proceedings usually take about 6-12 months before the adoption becomes final.  Therefore, the Fund will require a copy of documents from the attorney handling the adoption or from the court showing that the adoption is in progress.  

 

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The child will be covered from the day he or she begins to live with the employee.  The Fund cannot consider any child as an eligible dependent unless he or she is living with the employee.

 

 

FETAL MONITORING

Pre-term fetal monitoring is not covered by the Plan because it is not considered to be medically necessary by the American Board of Obstetricians & Gynecologists.

 

 

HOSPITAL

Click here to read about your hospital benefits.

FOR A BETTER BENEFIT

Eligible employees and their eligible Dependent spouse can obtain maternity benefits from PPO contract providers at several locations in Southern California and Nevada. Under the PPO contract provisions, the Plan will pay the contracted rate which the provider has agreed to accept. You have no copayment.

Simply present your Health & Welfare Identification Card.

Providers under contract with Anthem Blue Cross are listed in the Anthem Blue Cross Directory or at www.anthem.com . Providers under contract with AHF are listed in the AHF Directory of Participating Hospitals and Physicians on AHF's website. 

NEWBORNS' AND MOTHERS' HEALTH PROTECTION ACT (NMHPA)

This Plan complies with a federal law that prohibits restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay in connection with childbirth for the mother or newborn child to less than 48 hours following a normal vaginal delivery, or less than 96 hours following a cesarean section. However, Federal law generally does not prohibit the mother's or newborn's attending provider, after consulting with the mother, from discharging the mother or her newborn earlier than 48 hours (or 96 hours as applicable). In any case, this Plan does not require that a health care practitioner obtain authorization from the Plan (or its utilization review company) for prescribing a length of stay up to 48 hours (or 96 hours following a cesarean section).