If you're expecting but not covered by health insurance, there may be alternatives available to you that will lessen the price you have to pay in the maternity ward. Failing to examine your choices can have a devastating impact on your finances.

Your choices for maternity insurance if you are pregnant include employer-sponsored health care insurance, government-sponsored doctor and hospital insurance. As a last resort some non-insurance plans can help you by helping you get get a lower rate from your hospital.

If you're working and will have a health care insurance open enrollment period before your baby is due, you may be able to buy coverage through an employment-sponsored plan. If you are married, you should examine choices with your spouse's or domestic partner employer in addition to yours.

If you're planning to get married and can do so before your son or daughter arrives, you may be able to be added to your spouse's or domestic partner insurance before the usual open enrollment period. With most group insurance policies when an employee gets married their spouse is eligible for a special open enrollment period.

You may be qualified for medical insurance policies that are offered through your local, county or state. In many cases these policies will accept women who are already expecting.

These programs may have certain restrictions. They may limit what they pay and who they will pay. They may limit the doctors and hospitals you can go to.

There may be income requirements. Some medical insurance programs may require that your income be under a certain level. Others may have no income limit but will ask those with higher incomes to pay more to get health and maternity insurance.

You can contact your local health department or Planned Parenthood for information on programs offered in your area. If there are health insurance alternatives for already pregnant women in your area, they will probably know about it.

If you're unable to buy medical insurance that will cover your pregnancy, there are still things you can do to lower the costs you will have to pay. You can see which hospital in your area has the lowest rates. Hospitals can charge very different rates.

If you can pre-pay your maternity expenses, you can often get a lower rate from your hospital. Discuss this option with the hospital you chose if you're able to do this.

You may also find that there are non-insurance programs available that will allow you to pay discounted rates to your hospital. When an insurance company pays for a person's health care bills, they will pay what is known as the negotiated rate. This can be half what the hospital charges those who have no health or maternity insurance. Even if you do not qualify for an insurance policy, you may be able to qualify for the same kind of discount.

You will have more alternatives available to you if you are able to get health and maternity insurance before you're pregnant. However, there may be choices available to you even if you're pregnant before you start looking for maternity and health insurance.

Be sure to investigate all your alternatives if you're already pregnant and are not covered by health insurance. Doing so can save you thousands of dollars.