Please Please Help!

Hi S.,

I am 11 weeks pregnant with my second child and I do not have health insurance either. I used Medicaid for my daughters birth and I am having to use it again for my second child. Just be aware that it takes a few weeks for everything to get going. After that it's very easy and you do not pay a single penny out of your pocket for ANYTHING. You will need to contact your local Health and Human Services Department and they will require you to fill out an application and take a pregnancy test. Hope this helps!

K.

Is it possible that you or your husband seek other employment & utilize the insurance benefits that are offered at least until you are complete w your pregnancy?

Hi S. -

It seems like it would be cheaper to borrow the money from your parents to pay the Cobra premiums until the baby is here, rather than having to borrow the $ to pay for all the Dr visits and delivery. I bet it's $20,000 to have a baby in a hospital... but you could call the dr and the hospital and get some numbers and compare all that to paying the premiums... Of course, if the time to sign up for Cobra has passed, then it's a non-issue. you guys will just have to borrow the fund and do it, and in the long run it won't be so bad. You'll get through this and have a wonderful child, which is worth more than any amount of money!

Sorry to hear you are having to deal with this at a time that you would otherwise just be happy to have a baby on the way! I don't know if you have a relationship with God, but if not, consider putting your trust in Him and let Him carry the burdens for you. Allow yourself to feel the JOY of knowing that you have a child on the way! Awesome!

You are in my prayers!
D. in Dallas

Apply for Medicaid * have proof of pregnancy from a free
pregnancy testing place or planned parenthood*, WIC, and
foodstamps.
Medicaid pays all of your prenatal care. And for the
care of the new one. YOu may also be able to get it for
the whole family. WIC makes sure you are getting healthy
things for your changing body. Then for when your nursing
as well as the new baby. Will get till baby turns 5, free
milk, juice, eggs cereal is a help.

Hi S.,

There is nothing to be scared of! God gives us challenges everyday that he knows that we can handle or he wouldnt give them to us at all. Apply for medicad for the baby and your pregnancy. I currently am on medicad for my baby that will be here in Aug. They pay for all your doctors visits as well as the labor and delivery. Any questions please feel free to ask me!
L.

S.,
Congratulations!!!

Since my hubby is self employed all of my kiddos were non-insurance babies.

I worked w/ my OB and he let me do payments. His totla ofr a Vaginal delivery was $2200. Doctor's Hospital of Dallas has a "Cash PAy program" which was only $1700 for the delivery and a 2 day stay for baby and I. The Peds visit was I think $200, but that is reimbursable if you put the baby on a plan like Unicare right away (you will need that for well checks anyway). The pregnancy resource Center of Dallas can do free sono's. They also offer free childbirth classes. I'd give them a call- http://www.dallaspregnancyresource.com/.

I have seen a couple of suggestions for Nurse midwives- many of my friend who also have self-employed hubbies have used them and RAVE about them- so meet w/ a couple and see how you feel about that option.
Good Luck!
D.
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You can have your baby with The Birth and Women's Center in Dallas, with Cherie. It's $4500 cash, paid by 1 month before the due date. It's a great place to have a baby and it is a beautiful experience.

An uneventful delivery (natural, no complications) can be anywhere from 2-5000. A cesearean for my friend was almost 13,000, but if the baby has to go to NICU or has complications, that can be more.

Hopefully, you will qualify for Medicaid. I have heard of the Maternity Card. It has helped many women, but I'm not sure exactly how it works. Here's the site:

http://www.maternitycard.com/form1.asp?source=0C0K02-sear...

Yes having a baby isn't cheap. We had a baby girl at Arlington Memorial 2 yr ago and it was about 10,000 for both me and baby. But My son was alittle over 3 yrs and his bill was 60,000 he was in the NICU because he was a premmie.

Medicaid will pay and if your husband isnt working than you will get it.You can go to one Dr.

You can get on WIC when your PG and it helps with Milk, Cheese, juice and after your baby it pays for formula which can be a bog saving if you cant breast feed. With having kids in the house everybit helps.

If you dont qualify for Medicaid then if you live in Tarrant County they have a insurance you can get through JPS-John Hopkins
there information on www.jpshealthnet.org but you don't have 1 Dr,
you see someone different each time.

Hope this helps ! Congrats

First of all, congratulations on your pregnancy. A baby is a blessing, and you absolutely will find a way to get through this. As others have said, definitely look into Medicaid. that will probably be the way to go, but it can be hard to qualify even if you don't have a job. There are several things they look at. Cartainly look into Parkland. I know of several people who have used them without insurance. Also, someone else mentioned Trinity Medical Center in Carrollton. That is actually where I plan on going because I do not have insurance or qualify for aid. Trinity is significantly cheaper than anywhere I else I looked into (and mine will be a C-Section.) And remember to negotiate with every service provider you will need. If you can, they will give you a better discount for paying ahead of time too.

I also love the idea someone gave about your hubby getting a job at Starbucks for now. I also hear Target is a great company for insurance and benefits. I don't know if their plans have changed at all, but a few years ago, a friend of mine worked there and had a baby for only $50 - everything else was paid through their insurance! It would really be worth it to get this covered. After all, those are shift work type jobs, so he can always get time to interview for a job he really wants, and quit if he gets something better in the meantime. The things with insurance at most of those jobs is that they cannot refuse to cover you IF you have not had a gap in insurance coverage... so you may need to get Cobra for a month or so, just to be sure the new company will cover you. I highly suggest you do your research on your coverage from a possible new company just to check for things like that.

S.,
I just read your post. I gave birth to my first child while I was still working and had insurance through work. With my second, I was a stay at home mom and had BC/BS individual insurance which does not cover any maternity or birth. I have to say that I paid less for my second delivery.
I told my OB that I was self paying and they had a discount for that - I think I paid $1750 for the whole 9 months and delivery. I called the hospital (Med. Ctr of Lew.) and told them I was self pay and they said if I paid off the birth in advance then they would charge me $3450 for the entire delivery (minus epidural). Then I got my bill for the epidural after I gave birth. It was $2200 but I called them and offered to pay them that day in full if they gave me a deal - they told me $900 and I paid it off right then. I found out later that if you call them in advance - they'll work out a deal with you to pay for the epidural before delivery as well.
My point is ~ negotiate negotiate negotiate. I negotiated all my bills in advance and only paid around $5000-$6000 for my son's delivery.
Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck!
D.

S., You can probably contact the Dept of Human Services and would qualify for Medicaid, but they might also try to refer you to the JPS (County Hospital & Clinics) My son just recently had a son. Him and his girlfriend went to the emergency room at HEB Harris Methodist Hospital for a pregnancy test. When it came out positive, they asked to speak to Social Services, they gave her paperwork and certified her right there as eligible to have her baby there (Great Hospital) and sent her a list of 3 to 5 Doctors to choose from, depending on if you wanted a female Dr or male, etc.
Had baby there, everything went great and they also gave her choice to pick out baby's peditrician. I would go to hospital emergency room first and apply there so as not to get wrapped up in the JPS (John Peter Smith) network. You might call the Dept of Human Resources and ask them if you come in there and apply would you have to have your baby at JPS? Son says you would not, if they find you eligible you can choose whatever hospital you want. Hope this helps. Congratulations and Best of Luck.

If the finances are available to cover costs (either through a credit plan or pay as you go) great. However, it sounds like this option would be a stretch, in the very least.As humbling as it may be, Medicaid may be the best option for you. Depending on your income status the cost will be little to none. You may be limited as to which doctors & hospitals you can choose, though.

I would suggest to go and apply for medicade- they give good care for your baby.

Congrats!!! Several doctors have payment plans, but it usually has to be paid in full prior to your 7th month. My husband started his law practice the month before I found out I was pregnant so I checked on this when I had our daughter and decided to do Cobra instead because of the potential hospital bills. Also, Cobra will cover the baby for the first 30 days after birth if you notify them right after the baby is born. Talk to your doctor and compare the cost of Cobra covering you through the pregnancy becuase that may be less of a financial burden in the long run. My daughter had to stay in the hospital an extra day and ended up in NICU for a night so the Cobra REALLY made it easier financally. Also, some hospitals have discount programs you can apply for to reduce the hospital bill.

Have you considered using a midwife at a birth center? There are several in the Dallas area. The cost is SUBSTANTIALLY less for someone paying cash, than going to a hospital. A hospital birth can easily run $10,000-$20,000 (depending on if you have a vaginal birth or cesarean, an epidural, etc. which all raise the price), whereas you can have a birth center birth for around $3500 (give or take $500).

I had my first baby in the hospital, and I had my second baby at a birth center- birth centers are great!! (And not for financial reasons- but by choice... the financial part was a bonus!)

There are eight or nine birth centers in the area, I believe. I could give you their websites- feel free to PM me.

Another thing you might look into is if you qualify for Medicaid. A birth center birth ends up being only a few hundred dollars out of your pocket if you qualify for Medicaid. I don't know about a hospital birth.

Why don't you try to get assistance from the state? That's what it is there for. I think each doctor visit would be about $100-$200 depending on what test they run and if it's a normal delivery it's around $3000-$5000. If you have been paying taxes you've earned what ever assistance the state can give you. You would be using it for what they intended not abusing it like so many others do. I think if you go to the Texas Department of Human Services they should have a web site that can help.

Hi S., congrats on your pregnancy. I believe Parkland hospital provides high quality, low cost medical services. They can help you apply for medicade and they have clinic's throughout the area.

http://www.parklandhospital.com/index.html

D.

Ameriplan is a good Health Benefits Company. I use it. You can check it out at: www.mybenefitsplus.com/40495070

Call around different hospitals and find out if there is assistance. If you have to pay cash the smaller hospitals tend to not be as expensive. The thing that you have to remember is usually the doctors fee is separate and has to be paid before you deliver. The hospital bill is separate from the anestheologist. The hospital can help you out concerning those fees. I pray that all goes well for you I know how scary it can be.

Hello S.,

I am a mother of two and we are self employeed, and we only carry major medical and never maternity..
When you go to your doctor's office, ask to talk with the office manager and tell her that you guys are self pay.
Since they will not be dealing with an insurance company, they kind of give you a break..
For both of my kids, we paid it out over a 7 month time frame. (That's what they prefer, but I"m sure they will work with you)
I think we paid around $467 a visit. After that you need to contact the hospital you plan to deliver and do the same with them.
In 1999 we paid around $8000 give or take, and then in Jan. 2006 we paid about $9000. This was for both the doctor's fee and hosp.
Once you have your baby, most insurance companies cover them the minute they are born, so you may need to contact them. Now, if you have none, then your husband may need to be carried by himself so he can add the baby when it's born.

Hope this helps.
L. T.

Hi S.,

I have a good friend that sells very affordable health insurance for people in your situation. They can work with your budget. His name is Ian McPherson. Let me know if you would like me to have him call you?

I am sorry you have to worry about this. Let me know if I can help. I am also a stay at home mom with two boys ages 3 and 7.

Sincerely,

S. Rusher
###-###-####
Southlake, TX

Keep your chin up...first of all, and congratulations on the pregnancy. There are numerous clinics available for people uninsured, and the quality of care is improving tremendously, as more and more people can't afford insurance. Try to Google health clinics for uninsured Dallas and see what comes up. Also, ask your regular OBGYN office if they have special rates for uninsured patients - many offices do.

In addition, the job market is quite good right now. Your husband can likely find a new job with health insurance long before the baby arrives.

Good luck!

When I had my daughter, I had a natural birth with a midwife and without insurance it would have cost about $3000 - $5000. You might try finding out about Medicaid until you can get a steady job.

We actually just went thought all of this last summer. You can keep COBRA just for you. You won't even have to pay it for the new baby when it arrives; they are automatically covered for the first 30 days. Check into Maternity card. I believe that was mentioned previously. Ultimately don't stress about it. EVERYONE allows you to make payments. We did not have insurance with our first and all was ok. We made barley any money but we owned our car so we did not qualify for Medicaid, OH how angry that made me. Both of our parents helped out but it was no big deal. Insurance is really just for the numerous amounts of what if. You will be ok. Also FYI if you or your husband gets a new job that offers benefits pregnancy can not be considered a pre-existing condition. That is the law concerning group medical coverage.

Congratulations!! I also did not have maternity insurance. I paid the doctor about $2,500 (broke down into payments of around $450 each visit until paid in full), the hospital for me was about $3,500, my daughter was $650 (this didn't include any extras and she was on insurance as soon as she was born), and the anesthesiologist was about $1300. All of these can be broken down into payments, just be sure to call and set it up. Hope this helps and good luck!

If you are interested in discussing the possibility of midwifery care for your pregnancy and birth, I'd love to set up a free consultation with you. You can choose to birth either at our birth center or at your home. The cost is less than half of what you would pay for a hospital birth. You can reach me at ###-###-####.
C. @ Celebrate Birth Midwifery Services

There are several government agencies like WIC and Medicare that are designed for pregnant women. Also I know you can usually get better rates if you tell your ob/gyn you are self pay. I know of some website called hospital checkup or something that tells you the rates and a bunch of other useful info. on area hospitals. You can also call the hospital your doctor is associated with and get rates lowered by letting them know you are self pay. They will set you up on a payment plan. And of course there is the anastheseolagist(sp?) who will work with you. It cost around $10,000 to have a baby in Plano. Your area may vary by a few thousand and c-sections are a little more. Anyways, hope all goes well with your new baby.

Hi S., i am actually in the same boat as u. my hubby lost his company insuraunce about 3months before we found out we were prego with our second child. i was waiting tables and making pretty good money until i started having complications and had to demote myself and make alot less money so i tried the maternity card thing. now there are alot of draw backs to having it, not alot of Dr's take it and it reallly doesn't save u all that much but something is better than nothing. i just quit my job so i could qualify for medicade and im 7 months prego. luckily my former Dr. gave me a bunch of prenatal vitaimins to get me thru till i qualified. i would def. apply, it's not hard and they are very nice. Try calling JPS to make an appointment. Do not go to the one on Bryant Irvin, go to the JPS womens center. it may take awhile to get started but everything will be provided for you. good luck hon, and let me know how it goes!

A private pay routine office visit could run from 90-150. The ultrasounds could run from anywhere around 250-750. And the delivery could run from 2,500-4,000. That's just an estimate from when I worked at the hospital. You can apply for Medicaid, being pregnant you're eligible, they are not partial in this situations.