Jan 10th, 2008
At least we’re not waiting around for the answer.
Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
I always like to get the bad out of the way, that way I can hopefully enjoy the lift that comes with the good news.
So here it is…
Bad news~we make too much money to receive maternity benefits.
Good news~ the kids are covered and it is retroactive to Dec 1st.
My kids have health insurance. That is a huge sigh of relief. On to the problem, how are we going to pay for this baby?
Or, does anyone know of any insurance that will take on a woman with a pre-existing condition such as pregnancy?
Let me know. Ask your friends, neighbors, and countrymen.
I’m already afraid to go grocery shopping. Where does money go? It seems like when you have kids it disappears into an abyss. We received a substantial amount of money for Christmas from my husbands rich Grandmother. He paid our bills. The money is almost gone. Into the abyss.
Good Enough
Rats! We had the same problem … but we just paid on the baby forever. Not really the best option… I’ll ask around and see if anyone knows of anything that might help!
Congrats on getting the kids covered! Good luck finding something for the baby. Birthing is so expensive nowadays. Too many people suing for too many things.
I don’t have any suggestions. I just wanted to say its wonderful that the kids are covered! I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers. Hopefully something will pop up to help you with the baby expenses.
We used a midwife when we didn’t have insurance and basically no job. We paid cash for every visit and had the baby at home. It turned out to be a wonderful experience.
That’s great that the kids are covered, but isn’t it weird that one can “make too much money” to be covered? We “make too much money” to qualify for food stamps, which? Hello? We live in NYC and a family of 3 living on under $60k with $2k rent/month? Huh?
Anyhoo, are their any women’s clinics near you? Many social service clinics will offer basic prenatal care to those who need it, often on a sliding scale.
I might suggest going through your church or even through a Planned Parenthood, that offers women’s health care to all that need it. In New York there are some “lower cost” insurance programs to support families in need but don’t quite qualify. (Also, I’m sure you’ve done it already, but I just Googled “Seattle Affordable Prenatal Care”)
Also, as Kim said, perhaps you can find a midwifery group that would be happy to provide services for you for a sliding fee… they are likely to be the most sympathetic. After all the care of you and your baby are the most important.
I had this same “pregnant but no insurance” problem with my second child. Most states have what is called a state medical insurance pool that is required to take anyone, even those with pre-existing medical conditions. In Oregon, where I live, it’s called Oregon Medical Insurance Pool. Google it for your state, or check with DHS, and I bet you’ll find something. The trick is you have to first apply and be rejected by a regular insurance company, before the state plan will take you.
This premiums for this coverage are not necessarily cheap. But when we did the math for our family, it was cheaper to pay the premium each month for the pregnancy and immediate post-partum period, and have an insurance-covered birth, than to have a non-insured birth.
Hope that helps. Good luck!