I just want to start by saying WTF is up with America and health insurance and family leave. First my hospital bill for a c section and a 4 night stay was 56k. That is literally more than I make in a year. I don’t even have that in student loan debt. If I did not have insurance I would have cried but even then this is criminal. Next, my husband had to take time off since recovery from a c-section is not easy and I am limited to what I can do. His job wanted proof of a c-section and discharge paperwork stating what I can and cannot do. What the actual f***. I hate it here. End of rant.
looking4answers89
New member
@leann1005 Last time I ranted about American health care I got a surprising amount of downvotes and mean comments because “that’s how the system works”, glad to see people realize it’s messed up!
welshchild
New member
@looking4answers89 It’s how the system works when the system is completely broken……..
@welshchild The system isn't broken, it is working perfectly. Trying health insurance to employment is a super effective tactic to keep people stuck at shitty jobs. Charging outrageous prices generates billions in revenue for parasitic insurance companies and countless middlemen. So yeah, the system is doing exactly what it is designed to do - siphon wealth from the working class to corporations.
katrina2017
New member
@looking4answers89 Your system needs to be changed. Pretty much every other Western country manages to provide great public health care options, and decent parental leave. Everutime I hear these stories from USA, I want to hug all of you who have to go through it.
@katrina2017 I just read an article how a British woman took her paid maternity leave YEAR but then got pregnant again and took another paid year then pregnant again and another year and then again. That's when people started to complain (hence the UK article) when she had worked a total of only 11 months in the last 5 years but her employer was so fine with it and worked with her and she had her babies back to back. I was all what?!?! OH and they have social Healthcare too. That's how broken we are as Americans. Our 6-8 weeks unpaid... Is trash.
@justkelby I just want to chime in to clarify that in the UK, though birthing people get a year of leave, only 6 weeks are paid at 90% of your salary. Then the payment drops to a lot less than minimum wage for months, and totally unpaid for the last 3 months or so. So yeah, much better than the USA, but still bad.
Anyways, it still blows my mind to know that people living in wealthy countries don’t have access to public healthcare, job security, and a living wage.
Anyways, it still blows my mind to know that people living in wealthy countries don’t have access to public healthcare, job security, and a living wage.
katrina2017
New member
katrina2017
New member
Here in Norway we get either 49 weeks 100 % paid or 59 weeks 80 % paid. It can be split between both parents. Some European countries also have up to two years paid as far as I know.
And yes, its back to back here too! As long as youre pregnant and need it, I dont see why it wouldnt be. America is so far behind here.
And yes, its back to back here too! As long as youre pregnant and need it, I dont see why it wouldnt be. America is so far behind here.
@looking4answers89 Bootlickers 
@looking4answers89 Yeah it's literally terrible. Or people who say "I don't wanna pay 50% taxes like they do in some European countries". Like okay, glad the maternal infant mortality and adverse outcomes in the U.s. aren't enough to convince you that moms and babies are worth taking care of. Insanity.
@looking4answers89 The key here is being EXTRMELY poor. Like, make $20,000 a year or less. I was lucky enough to have quit my job right before the pandemic, so I was out of work for eight months before finding out I was pregnant. Since I had no income whatsoever and had been living off my savings which were almost empty, I qualified for Medicaid and everything health care related was 100% covered for myself and the baby. I have recommended to friends considering trying to start having kids to quit their jobs. They look at me like I’m crazy until I explain my pregnancy cost over $100,000 due to complications and continuous medications for nine months.
@asthethic Gee that’s terrible. I was also high risk and saw many doctors and midwives and never had any issue with being refused because of my Medicaid insurance. I’m not in Texas though
@leann1005 Solidarity in terms of American health care. It’s a sick joke. The bit about your husband’s work asking for what you can and can’t do seems over the line to me. I get a doctor’s note stating that you had a procedure and require support for daily functioning and child care but specific dos and donts seems incredibly invasive and possibly illegal. I would ask your OB’s opinion on that.
ETA: If HE was the one who had undergone a procedure I could see them asking specifics for liability reasons for when he returns, but not you.
ETA: If HE was the one who had undergone a procedure I could see them asking specifics for liability reasons for when he returns, but not you.
savedbygrace_777
New member
@savedbygrace_777 OP stated that he has not been with his employer long enough for FMLA in an above comment. Regardless, I don’t see why they would need to know specifics of her condition beyond her requiring his 24/7 support if he is the employee, not her. It’s not like she is going to return to the office with restrictions eventually.