Started new job, need to see doctor before applying for benefits?

This is my first time signing up for health insurance and my first time even having health insurance since my early teen years. I’m very confused about this whole process.

I am a graduate student with a graduate assistantship. This allows me to enroll in the state employee insurance benefits. I am about 10 weeks pregnant, and I really need to establish some sort of prenatal care. I have been told that benefits start on 8/1. However, we can not actually apply for insurance until we receive a series of emails from the state. They said that this could take 3-4 weeks from the start date (7/30) to receive. Then, I would still have to wait for an insurance card in the mail. Going this route, I’d be about 16 weeks pregnant before I even have the card in hand.

If benefits start on 8/1, couldn’t I just see a provider and hold off on paying the bill until insurance kicks in? I don’t have the money to pay up front and submit for reimbursement. The insurance page states that I will be responsible for paying any mandatory retroactive adjustment payments for periods of coverage back to your benefits effective date. What does that even mean?

submitted by /u/Away-Performance-700
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