Well we just found out we are pregnant with number three, BIG shocker. We couldn't afford the monthly cost of BC pills so we thought we were being careful. Guess we weren't careful enough. Now I am without insurance. I had an insurance plan that I was/am on but since I didn't give them 10 months (just 9.5) they will not cover me for the maternity. My husband is a teacher and his insurance won't allow me on until open signing or something like that. Which is July and from what I can tell baby is due either July or August. We make too much money for medicaid although both of our kids are on it (but they only count new baby spouse and self when they figure that qualifying number. I called around to a couple of companies today and I feel bad for anyone who has found themselves single and pregnant. These men were so rude to me, and just treated me like I was scum since I just needed maternity. I'm not sorry that my husband is a teacher and I stay at home with our two kids. Yes that makes us poor by today's standards but there is no way I can do this without insurance, is there. Please also let me know if you know of any scams because there are a lot of websites out there.
I live in Colorado, and found myself in the same situation last with my last son. I don't know if there is anything like this available where you live, but its worth checking?? I figured out which hospital I wanted to deliver at, and then found a midwives group there. I just called them directly and they had me meet with their financial adviser. If anything went wrong with the pregnancy, they also had an actual doctors office, but mine went fine, and I thought the midwives were fantastic. The financial adviseor was SO great. Really understanding, and she applied us for anything and everything we may have been eligible for!! We did end up qualifying for medicaid, just for maternity, but had we not, they based the prices on a sliding scale based on income, and it would have been somewhere between $100 & $1500... the higher number only if we had made tons of money!! So I guess- find a place that accepts medicaid first, they will probably be more willing to work with you. I would also say midwives, ( I called several doctors offices and they were not willing to work with us at all... they all gave me around $5,000 with half due on my first visit :-/), and then ask if they have a financial adviser! Good Luck!!
I agree with the last post. We were in the same position and we qualified for maternity coverage only for maternity. It's totally on a different basis than if you weren't pregnant. I was covered through the 6 week checkup, and I was a high risk pregnancy with tons of extra care necessary. It doesn't hurt to apply. In CO, there is guaranteed coverage, although you have to pay for some, depending on income. When you apply, they tell you what you qualify for and how much it will be. I think the entire pregnancy cost me about $45. I understand the shock. We were told we couldn't have more kids. We did something anyway, this time. :) Congratulations!
There has to be some options through planned parenthood or non-profit clinics that would provide free prenatal/lowcost prenatal care. Maybe try looking into that. If you have had low-risk pregnancies and easy deliveries you coud also hire a midwife and do a homebirth for lower cost. Best of luck.
I would defintely call the health department. I believe they have options through the maternal and infant health care services program. Google it online. I am pretty sure it is a federally funded program available in all states.
Lucky for us we qualified for Medicaid for both of my pregnancies. My husband is in school and can only work part time. I have had to apply for Medicaid in two states, Idaho and Florida, we moved during the pregnancy. And both states were similar in the fact that they only consider your income during a single month. Since your husband is a teacher does he have a week or two off between Christmas and New Year's where he would be short a paycheck? If you make less money during a single month you might qualify. It doesn't matter when the time was worked but when he was actually paid. For example, he might work less in December but his paychecks won't reflect that until January. You can then wait to apply in Feburary and report your income for January. It might be just enough to qualify you. If you do end up qualifying they usually back pay for any care you might have already recieved. I hope you can get insurance since having babies is expensive.
Check out the state programs:
http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1197969485551&pagename=HCPF%2FHCPFLayout
There may be others.
Find a planned parenthood or clinic for the early appts and choose and call the financial services dept of the hospital where you want to deliver. Tell them you do not have insurance and they will work with you sometimes at half price. If you pay upfront, it will be less. They will also work out payment plans.
Most states have a healthcare program for kids, I wonder if your prenatal care falls under that? I don't know what your state's would be, or if they have one, but I know my sister's kids were on Hoosier Healthwise in Indiana for a bit. Maybe you could contact them & see if there's a nationwide network of low-income insurances like them. At the worst, they'd not be ale to help. At best, they could give you contact info for insurance.
Congrats on your Christmastime miracle!
Don't know if anyone already said this but if your kids qualify for medicade so will you when you are pregnant. You just have to show that you are pregnant, most places will give you a print out showing that you are. they will no longer cover you once the baby is born but will cover the baby. I had a coworker who didn't qualify to be covered either her or her kid, got pregnant and proved it and her daughter and her while she was pregnant were both covered for the birth and all appointments.
I was in that situation last pregnancy. If you are in Utah you can look into Baby Your Baby, they help you get medicaid maternity that is only good through your first postpartum appt. This pregnancy we have insurance, but because it isn't a group plan they will not cover the pregnancy so we have talked to the doctor and hospital and have paid up front for the hospital and the doctor has lowered his fees. In the future if you want to use BC you can go to Planned Parenthood and they will give it to you at a cost based on your income so it ranges from free to regular price. Most areas have low income clinics and I utilized one last time. I wasn't sure if we'd qualify for medicaid yet so I went there and if we had to pay out of pocket the entire pregnancy would have been about $600 and included one ultra sound. I also second the midwife idea if that is a possibility for you (I wish it was for me) because when I looked into them the total cost of prenatal care and delivery was about $3000 on the high end. Good luck.
If you are in Colorado, try www.covercolorado.com Good luck and best wishes for the new baby!
Most states will cover pregnant women under their Woman, Infant, and Children (WIC) programs for prenatal care and birthing. Just google WIC and your state's name and see what you qualify for - typically they will cover you regardless of private insurance or income. Worth a look!
I am so sorry. There are many in your situation.
THIS IS WHY WE NEED HEALTHCARE REFORM !!!!
I suggest finding a midwife who might have a sliding scale and would charge you less based on your income. If you are low-risk, there should be no reason you couldn't give birth at a birth center or at home with a midwife. Don't know if you have those options where you live, but you should find out! Midwives and births out of hospitals cost far less than a hospital birth, and again, if you are a low-risk, normal pregnant woman, it is just as safe, even more so, that a hospital birth.
Laressa- I have beenin your situation before being a single mom.. Go back to medicaid- I'm almost postive that you can qualify for medicaid simply because you are pregnant, the children would only qualify based on family size and finance but I'm almost positive that simply being pregnant will qualify you for medicaid- when I was prego I had insurance and also qualified for medicaid.. good luck to you
I see that you go to church. They might have a contact for you for a Christian medical co-op/healthshare. If not, check this out: www.medi-share.org. It's not health insurance, it's not for profit, and it's a community of believers supporting and praying for one another.
I would have your husband contact HR and really push for adding you to the plan. A life change allows for additions at non-adding times - for example his spouse's work status changing, etc. You shouldn't have any problem with that. Otherwise, I know there are policies you can buy for being pregnant (2 people I know had policies that didn't include maternity and they bought some sort of "card" that covered them). Sorry I don't know more about the details but I would do some research on it. Also, after this pregnancy, I think Planned Parenthood offers the pill pretty inexpensively.
You will likely qualify for Colorado Health Plan Plus - CHP+
Check it out online - best to you!
You should qualify for medicaid. They would look at your income as a family of 5 (they'll count the unborn baby). The qualifying income level is different for pregnant women than for adults. If you're in Utah, start with Baby Your Baby.
I don't know what your childbirth history has been, but if it's been fairly smooth and you don't need that much medical intervention-
I have a friend who has a $5000 maternity deductible (which as I understand it, is normal), so she has her babies at home with a midwife. She says it's so much more comfortable, the midwife has all the equipment that they have at the hospital, and she can have a baby for $2-3 thousand dollars.
I know most people would scoff at this and say no way, but if your interested, I can put you in contact with her for more information.
I'm so sorry you're in this bind. Good luck!