Pregnant Kansas City Woman Loses Health Insurance: Claire Benson’s Story

TL/DR –

Claire Benson, a pregnant woman in Kansas City, Missouri, had her health insurance cancelled immediately after she updated her information to indicate her pregnancy status. Insurance broker Cary Hall stated that there was no reason for the cancellation, defying governmental guidelines. Benson, who had chosen her policy a month prior to becoming pregnant, is now fighting to have her policy reinstated, pointing out that disclosing her pregnancy was optional.

First-time expectant mother loses health insurance after revealing pregnancy

Kansas City resident, Claire Benson, currently pregnant with her first child, recently faced an unexpected issue when her health insurance was instantly cancelled upon revealing her pregnancy as reported by KCTV.

Benson procured her insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace. She contacted the help line to update her account with her married name and other information. It was during this call that the operator advised her to also update her pregnancy status.

Believing she was merely adhering to instructions, Benson updated her pregnancy status, leading to an immediate cancellation of her health insurance.

At 15 weeks pregnant, Benson was told she might qualify for Medicaid; however, the process could take weeks. This has led to the delay of essential tests and ultrasounds during her pregnancy, causing significant distress.

Insurance broker Cary Hall, with years of experience, confirmed that there were no grounds for cancellation based on government guidelines. But he also acknowledged that correcting such government errors can be challenging.

Benson is now contesting the termination of her coverage and working to bring attention to this issue. It has emerged that revealing pregnancy status was optional on the application, adding to Benson’s frustration.

The Marketplace media representative declined to comment on individual cases.

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