New Baby Insurance Checklist

A new baby brings joy, sleepless nights and a long to-do list. Insurance belongs on that list. Some deadlines, like adding your baby to health insurance, are short and easy to miss in the first weeks home. Other steps, like life insurance and naming guardians, protect your child's future. Here's a checklist for expectant and new parents.

During pregnancy

Review your health plan

• Check your deductible, out-of-pocket maximum and which hospitals and doctors are in network.
• Ask whether you need preauthorization for delivery or a hospital stay.
• Find out whether your pediatrician is in network.
• If you're comparing plans during open enrollment, look at the total expected cost of a year with a birth, not just the premium.

Under the Affordable Care Act, marketplace plans must cover maternity and newborn care as essential health benefits. See HealthCare.gov – Health benefits and coverage.

Plan for leave and income

• State disability and family leave: in California, State Disability Insurance (SDI) may provide benefits during pregnancy and recovery, and Paid Family Leave (PFL) may provide benefits for bonding with a new child. See the EDD – Paid Family Leave. Other states have their own programs or none at all.
• Employer short-term disability: check what your employer offers and how it works with state benefits.
• Job protection: leave benefits and job protection are separate. Ask HR about your rights under state and federal law.

Individual disability insurance generally must be in place before pregnancy to cover it, and some policies limit pregnancy-related benefits. If you're planning a family, consider disability coverage early.

Get life insurance before the baby arrives

Some couples wait, but applying during pregnancy is possible, and getting coverage in place early is simpler. Life insurance can replace income, pay off a mortgage and fund child care and education if a parent dies. Both parents need coverage, including a parent who stays home. The cost to replace child care and household work is significant. See our term vs. whole life guide.

After the birth

Add your baby to health insurance right away

This is the most time-sensitive step.

• Employer plans: birth is a qualifying event. Most plans give you a limited window, often 30 days, to add your newborn. Some cover a newborn for a short period automatically, but you still must enroll the baby to continue coverage.
• Marketplace plans: a birth typically triggers a special enrollment period of 60 days, and coverage can start on the date of birth. See HealthCare.gov – Special enrollment and Covered California – Special enrollment.
• Medi-Cal and CHIP: depending on income, your baby may qualify for Medi-Cal in California, or CHIP or Medicaid in other states.

Missing the deadline can leave your baby uninsured until the next open enrollment.

Update life insurance and beneficiaries

• Increase coverage if needed.
• Update beneficiaries. Naming a minor child directly as beneficiary can create problems, because minors can't receive large sums. Many parents name a trust or a custodian under the state's Uniform Transfers to Minors Act. Talk to an estate planning attorney.

Name a guardian

A will lets you nominate a guardian for your child. Without one, a court decides. Pair it with a trust if you want to control how insurance money is used.

Apply for a Social Security number

You can usually apply at the hospital when you complete the birth certificate. You'll need your baby's Social Security number for insurance, taxes and savings accounts.

Home and auto

Car seats

Install a rear-facing car seat correctly before you leave the hospital. California law requires children under 2 to ride rear-facing (with exceptions based on size) and children under 8 to ride in a car seat or booster in the back seat. See the California Highway Patrol – Child safety seats. Many CHP offices and fire stations offer free car seat checks.

If you're in an accident, ask your insurer whether it will pay to replace the car seat. Many manufacturers recommend replacement after a crash.

Childproofing

• Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
• Anchor furniture and TVs to prevent tip-overs.
• Use gates on stairs, and covers on outlets.
• Secure pools with fencing and alarms. See our pool liability guide.
• Keep medicines and cleaners locked away.

Nannies and babysitters

If you hire a nanny, you may become a household employer, with tax and possibly workers' compensation obligations. In California, homeowners and renters policies include some workers' compensation coverage for certain household employees, but the details are specific. Ask your broker. The IRS explains household employer taxes in Publication 926.

If a nanny drives your child, make sure they're properly covered on your auto policy.

Review liability coverage

With more visitors, playdates and eventually kids' activities, review your liability limits and consider an umbrella policy.

Update your home inventory

Strollers, cribs and nursery furniture add up. Update your home inventory.

Saving for the future

College savings plans such as 529 plans aren't insurance, but many parents start one early. Life insurance helps make sure those plans get funded even if a parent dies.

New baby insurance checklist

During pregnancy

• ☐ Review your health plan's network and costs
• ☐ Plan leave: state disability, family leave and employer benefits
• ☐ Apply for life insurance for both parents
• ☐ Consider disability coverage

Within 30 days of birth

• ☐ Add your baby to health insurance
• ☐ Apply for a Social Security number

In the first few months

• ☐ Update beneficiaries; consider a trust
• ☐ Write or update your will and name a guardian
• ☐ Childproof your home
• ☐ Review auto, home, liability and umbrella coverage
• ☐ Check household employer rules if you hire a nanny

Congratulations! Contact Alishahi Insurance or call (877) 711-4545.

Frequently asked questions

Alishahi Insurance · 439 N Canon Dr, Penthouse, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 · (877) 711-4545 · CA License #4348151. General information only. This isn't legal, tax or financial advice or a coverage determination. Coverage depends on policy language and underwriting, and rules vary by state.