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Compare health coverage options

Start by digging into how the plans available to you cover costs related to pregnancy and giving birth. Comparing some maternity costs across plans may be easier than you might think: Pregnancy and having a baby are among the "common medical events" that the Affordable Care Act requires insurers to detail coverage for in a plan's Summary of Benefits and Coverage document. (See samples from CMS.gov below, with relevant sections boxed in red.)

Many employers also offer modeling tools to help workers estimate out-of-pocket costs for a particular condition or procedure, said Karen Frost, senior vice president of health strategy and solutions for Alight Solutions. Maternity expenses are a popular health need included there. But take all those coverage estimates with a grain of salt. Figures are often comparing against national averages, and focus on a "normal delivery," said Fish-Parcharm. It's still important to look at plan details such as your coinsurance rates and out-of-pocket maximums for the most you might spend. Check to make sure your preferred doctors and medical facilities are in-network. (Or covered, period. Plan details can vary widely for using an independent birth center or a midwife, for example, or if you need infertility treatments.)

It's worth casting a glance at out-of-network coverage, too. Charges from anesthesiologists and neonatal intensive care units are common surprise bills, Fish-Parcharm said. Weigh those potential maternity expenses in conjunction with coverage for your family's other medical needs and out-of-pocket costs. And don't forget that the baby will have his or her own bills, with a deductible to meet, upon arrival.

Sock away pre-tax cash for health expenses

Once you have a sense of potential out-of-pocket expenses related to pregnancy, take advantage of any tax-advantaged accounts you have access to, to set aside pre-tax dollars to cover those costs, said Dietel of Wage Works. That might be a health savings account (HSA), a medical flexible spending account (FSA), or both. Each has different contribution limits and rules for users to be aware of and strategize around. "You can't go wrong with contributing to a health savings account," said Dietel. An HSA balance rolls over from year-to-year, and accounts have a triple tax advantage. Contributions are either pretax or tax-deductible, typically grow tax-free and can be withdrawn without incurring taxes when used toward qualified medical expenses.

Most of the time we don't think about our health care until we have some medical event. Jody Dietel Chief compliance officer, WageWorks

If you have an eligible high-deductible health plan, you can open or fund an HSA at any point during the year. Health FSAs have a few more strings. They're use-it-or-lose it within that year, although many employers provide either a grace period of up to 2½ months to spend those funds or allow a carryover of $500 to the next year. Open enrollment is your one shot decide how much to put aside in a FSA for 2019 — at least, until the baby arrives, which is a qualified life event that would let you reassess your contribution. Check to see if your employer offers any matching funds or seed money for using an HSA or FSA, said Frost of Alight Solutions. Some companies also offer free cash into such an account for completing wellness activities like getting an annual physical, she said.

Weigh pre-tax child care accounts

Experts advise hold off on loading up on another open-enrollment perk, the dependent care flexible spending account. These accounts let you set aside pre-tax dollars, up to $5,000 per household, for expenses including child care for dependents under age 13. Like a health FSA, you can fund these accounts during open enrollment for the following year, or when you have a qualifying life event such as the birth of a child. Unlike health FSAs, dependent-care FSAs don't have a carry over or grace period: Any funds remaining at the end of the calendar year are forfeit. So it's best to wait until you have the child to fund that dependent-care FSA, Frost said. That way, you're not losing money if say, you don't get pregnant as soon as expected or Grandma offers to watch the baby for free. "Maybe you don't 100 percent know what your child care is going to look like until you have the child," she said.

(Even if this isn't your first child, beware of maxing out a dependent-care FSA for a year in which you'll take parental leave. Tax law intends the accounts to be used to cover child-care costs so that parents can work, so you can't claim expenses incurred while you're on leave, Dietel said. Odds are good, given the high cost of child care, that you'll still be able to use those FSA funds, she said, but it's worth crunching the numbers if you have lucked into inexpensive care, have a generous parental leave or both.)

Look for other maternity benefits