How long will my medical insurance allow my new baby and myself remain in the hospital following childbirth?

Because many insurance companies would not pay for hospital costs beyond the bare minimum, Congress enacted legislation that allows mothers and their newborn infants longer hospital stays. The law requires, among other items, insurance companies to pay for at least a 48-hour hospital stay for mothers and their newborns after a regular delivery. The legislation provides for a 96-hour hospital stay if the baby is born through a caesarean section. (The legislation follows on the heels of several states that have enacted similar legislation, but due to loopholes many insurers escaped enforcement of states' laws since they are regulated by federal law.)