If you are thinking about starting a family, health insurance experts all agree the time to plan for maternity expenses is now, before you become pregnant. The whole concept of health insurance is to plan ahead, to have medical coverage for unforeseen future events. Not that it is impossible to obtain health insurance for maternity expenses after you become pregnant, but it is much more difficult to get maternity health coverage after one is pregnant. As silly as it sounds health insurance companies look at pregnancy as a kind of "pre-existing condition" if a woman applies for a maternity rider, or for a comprehensive health insurance policy after she becomes pregnant. Furthermore if you can get a rider on a health insurance policy for maternity while already pregnant, statistics show that those monthly premiums will be much higher. There are several ways to obtain affordable health issuance coverage for delivery and maternity expenses. Plan now before the blessed event. Keep in mind that if you are working, not all companies provide health insurance, and even if they do not all employee based group health insurance covers maternity expenses. So the first step is to check with your benefits advisor at work, and see what if any health insurance coverage is available for maternity. Then if little or no coverage options are available, see what may be offered under your spouse's health insurance plan. If neither your or your spouse's health insurance plan offers maternity coverage as part of the basic plan, the next step is to consider purchasing a maternity rider on the health insurance policy. A rider is a supplement to a health insurance policy that outlines additional benefits. In this case a maternity rider will provide coverage for the expenses related to a routine childbirth, and routine aftercare. Note that should illness or other complications result from a pregnancy or childbirth you would be covered for these expenses under your regular health insurance, not the maternity rider. If you are currently without any health insurance, there are many reasons why you should consider purchasing a private health insurance policy, not the least of which is if you are planing on becoming, or might become pregnant. Average delivery expenses for a routine birth are around $10,000. While shopping for a private health insurance policy, keep in mind that most low-cost private health insurance plans do not include maternity coverage and you will have to add on the rider. Please be sure to check the details carefully. Many private health insurance policies with a maternity rider have a waiting period before conception can occur, and it could be as much as 12 months.