@bynom Insurance paying 95% of the bill is pretty fucking good.
I owed $4K the first time around, but the second time around I owed nothing because I was conveniently on two different insurances for exactly one week, which just so happened to coincide with my c-section and hospital stay.
That being said, my child’s portion of the bill was $17K and we had to fight tooth and nail for my husband’s insurance to admit that my son was actually born and a U.S. citizen, despite having hospital records and a birth certificate.
@leann1005 95% sounds "good" but then $2,400 is still SO much money, omg. I haven't even looked into what my insurance covers. I almost don't want to know.
@katrina2017 This is a lot of information, but hopefully you'll find it helpful.
If you look up the name of the hospital you're planning to deliver at + cost estimator, you might be able to get an approximate amount for how much your stay will cost (this can obviously change a lot if you have any complications, but it's a place to start). I used the tool for the hospital where I'll deliver, linked below, and instead of entering my insurance info because I didn't feel like finding it, I just used the without insurance option (click skip this step. And when it says it needs more information, scroll down and choose a hospital). I know that my insurance covers 90% of everything in-network once I reach the deductible (check your policy's maternity care coverage to see what you should expect) so getting the total and assuming I'll have to pay 10% of that gives me a rough idea of what to expect, which is somewhere around $4,000 if I deliver vaginally. Sometimes insurance companies have special rates with the hospital, so there's a chance it will be lower. Also, if you have a low out-of-pocket maximum, that's the most you'd have to pay. Mine is like $8,000 now that I've joined my husband's policy but yours could be a lot lower. I also live in an expensive area, so your cost may be lower if you don't.
It depends on insurance. I had to visit the ER twice this pregnancy and it cost $16k total for both visits. I ended up getting billed the remaining amount for my deductible which was only $1500 left until we met it.
@katrina2017 Like others have said, it depends on your insurance. I have Sharp (HMO) for example so they will only charge me $300 a day to be in the hospital. After 3 days it is fully covered. I also do not pay co-pays for OB visits or for tests/lab work. I've paid nothing for this pregnancy so far, and will only have to pay the $900 for the hospital stay (having a c-section)
It will also vary by age. I am almost 39 so my insurance pays for all of the extra tests and junk I needed to have because I'm "old".
@katrina2017 Just adding what others said - it varies wildly between different insurances and plans. You could have a high deductible plan with high co-pays, or a plan where almost all costs are covered. There SHOULD be an online platform or phone number where you can call and check expected costs for different procedures.
@leann1005 So my husband is a doctor, and if a person's work was asking for something so ridiculous, I'm pretty sure he'd write them a work note for like, 8 weeks to assist you. I'm not sure about that, but he hates bullshit like that.
@restoringthetruth For real, that’s so violating it feels dehumanizing. I would honestly quit my job over something like that. So toxic. Absolutely no reason to treat people like that. A doctor’s note, sure, but they are not entitled to details.
@leann1005 I'm questioning the sanity of my decision to get pregnant every day with all the ongoing crises in this fucked up country. Paid leave. Formula shortage. School shootings. Daycare shortage. It seems like everything is just fucked and some days I want to crawl into a hole and disappear.
@shaun_s I was terrified to have a baby, I am fortune to produce enough to feed my LO but I also supplement with formula as needed and I am grateful that we have not had issues finding the formula we need. I feel fortune enough to work for a company that allows me to work from home with great benefits something that is rare in this country. I wasn’t even entitled paid leave. I just started working for my current employer, when the VP of my department found out I wanted to work 2 weeks after delivery, she said no I need to spend time with my baby so I don’t regret a thing, she approved paid leave for 2 months. I literally told my husband we owe our LO everything. I feel you! It is terrifying.
@leann1005 My company has paid leave but one of the stipulations is 50 employees in the region you work in so I'm wondering if they'll use that to eek out of providing it? Since they are downsizing and probably under 50 local now. Ugh I hate them.
@leann1005 Crikey. The fact that you “only” have to pay $2,400 is crazy to me. Here in Australia, I had an emergency c-section and a hospital stay for 3 nights. Then after coming home I had to go back for another 5 nights due to postnatal hypertension. The only payment I had to make was $35 for some take home pain relief, and parking. We don’t even see a bill in the public system. Takes so much stress out of it.
This time I’m having another c-section and it will be the same. My husband will get 2 weeks paternity pay from the government at minimum wage. My work is giving me 3 months at my full pay, but I might take it as 6 months at half pay. That’s well above what the law requires, but is becoming more common in professional settings. If I didn’t get that I’d qualify for 16 weeks minimum wage paid by the government. Minimum wage here is AUD$20/hr (about US$14.50). Also, they have to keep my job open for me to come back to for 12 months, my work also allows a further 12 months unpaid but with the ability to return to the exact same position / salary. So I could theoretically take 2 years off.
We might pay high progressive income tax here (between 19% and about 40% depending on how much you earn) but it is SO worth it. My mum’s breast cancer treatment (operations, drugs, hospital stay) was completely free and happened immediately after diagnosis. Great care in the public system.
@williammosher When I was born my mom had recently moved from the USA to Canada, her family and friends didn't understand the difference of how things work here. She was hospitalized for 8 weeks, I was born in emergency c-section, 2 weeks in NICU and 4 weeks regular hospital. Her poor family and friends thought my parents were going to be bankrupt and lose their house.
She was in the hospital long enough that she activated a cable subscription to her room, so she paid for that. She also had a phone bill for the room (this is or course long before cell phones!). My dad had to pay for parking. Her family really couldn't believe it and somehow to this day they still believe public healthcare is bad.
@williammosher Actually, tax in Australia isn't that high compared to most of the world - but I agree it's very much worth it.
I also had an emergency c-section last time, with three nights in hospital (and baby was in NICU for two of them) and all we had to pay for was parking. This time, they picked up a bit of an issue with baby's heart rate (luckily, it seems to be back to normal right now) so I have a whole load of extra scans and things, and I will be having a c-section again. All of it is covered.
@williammosher Aussie here! You are entitled to both the government leave and the maternity leave from your work as well (and at the same time)! depending on how much you earn….
It’s funny I think our mat leave system is convoluted and complicated but then I look at America and go ‘wow, so lucky’ haha.
@williammosher We just had our first 2 weeks ago in Sydney. In the Private sector. C-Section due to low lying placenta. She is military so all expenses are covered thankfully but I'm super curious how much it would be if she wasn't.
