@HayesRN13 - that drives me bonkers! Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful we are employed and don't qualify for state funding, but really?! I personally know at least 2 women who are on state funding with 3 or more kids each...and having more is no big deal because it basically costs nothing for them. Way to screw the working class!! I also don't understand how we can be required to have insurance, but there is nothing regulating what we (consumers/patients) actually end up paying (at least nothing I'm aware of).
I did see they charged us like $300 each time LO went to the nursery (3 times total) and one was because the lady couldn't get her hearing equipment to work in the room which wasn't my fault! We joked that at least we had a pretty view of downtown for the price.
Yeah, I just got an $800 charge for "Nursery Services." We never specifically sent LO to the nursery at night or anything... so it must have been a couple $300 diaper changes. So irritating. I've kind of lost track of my total OOP. We've had all these random charges, but then things we planned on paying for ended up getting paid by insurance.
Me-37, DH-38
Married in 2006, TTC #1 since Jan 2012
Baby Boy born June 1, 2015
He settles her in her home as a happy mother of children, praise the Lord! (Psalms 113:9)
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understand, will guard your heart and mind in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:7)
I have to add... What's worse if you didn't have insurance and were on medi-cal, they don't have to pay a thing... We have regulars that come to ER on a weekly basis... No job, drug seeking, but everything is covered. Then hard working people who pay into insurance , get stuck with fat bills because certain things aren't covered? What's wrong with this picture
Yep. I have a friend who works at the hospital I delivered at (in ER also) and she's said that the financial situation of the hospital makes the job pretty unstable. It's in a pretty low-income part of town and something like 20% of patients actually pay.
Me-37, DH-38
Married in 2006, TTC #1 since Jan 2012
Baby Boy born June 1, 2015
He settles her in her home as a happy mother of children, praise the Lord! (Psalms 113:9)
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understand, will guard your heart and mind in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:7)
@HayesRN13 - that drives me bonkers! Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful we are employed and don't qualify for state funding, but really?! I personally know at least 2 women who are on state funding with 3 or more kids each...and having more is no big deal because it basically costs nothing for them. Way to screw the working class!! I also don't understand how we can be required to have insurance, but there is nothing regulating what we (consumers/patients) actually end up paying (at least nothing I'm aware of).
Well, I had a baby 4 years ago, 2 years ago, and now. It is pretty effing nice to not have to pay a single dime for this one's well child visits or immunizations. Or a pump, should I decide to get one. Or the mirena I got. Or, or, or...
I will also note, if the problem is that people on public assistance get better health coverage than working class people, there are two solutions to fix that inequality- either poor people pay more and get coverage as terrible as yours, or rich people pay more and your coverage gets better.
Sorry, breaking my own no politics on the internet rule!
@ChardeeMacDennis to clarify I believe other people having better coverage is NOT the problem. The problem (for me anyway) is that it seems a bit unfair that the government can cover a low income family for this 100%, but leave others in enormous debt only because they are (according to government standards) "rich" enough to handle it. I definitely don't know what the solution would be. I'm just another pissed off mom. Glad things have improved. Also glad I didn't have a baby 5 years ago.
@Sammy K you'd be surprised. Really, truly surprised. We council women extensively about the risks of becoming pregnant again (I.e. When they've just had their fourth c-section) and many refuse any conversation about birth control. Also state pays 100% for most birth controls and many women I see are on state and again, notes in their chart that they refuse birth control. A big problem is education but the women's center that provides state care runs birth control education programs for free and again, most refuse. It's a weird situation. You can't force anyone on birth control, especially when most things they are getting are for free. For those struggling not on any aid, we know another child would be financially consequential, but if you don't have those consequences then it doesn't matter. No one wants to be poor, I know that for a fact. No one wants to be living in the projects so they can get state aid. But you'd really be surprised at a lot of the comments out of patient's mouths about how they don't care because they're not paying for it. It's a catch-22.
TTC: 1/2014
BFP: 9/24
EDD: 6/8/2015
Sorry for the poor man's siggy...ticker won't load regardless of how many tips I read.
@dancegurl1118, my mom used to work as an appointments scheduler at an OBGYN office and she was scheduling an appointment for a lady and the check out sheet from the doctor stated that they needed to set up a time to discuss birth control and the woman flat out told my mom that she couldn't take it because if she stopped having babies she wouldn't be able to keep her Medicaid. Mind you, she was covered in tattoos, her nails and hair were done, brand new iPhone, and designer purse.
I don't understand how the cost can be so different for everyone. We had already met my deductible, so all I paid for delivery was 2 $25 copays for my 1st 2 doctor's appointments, a $530 delivery fee to my OBGYN's office at the 7 month mark, and a $200 copay to the hospital. When I checked in the registration lady tried to tell my I owed $250 more, but I told her they could bill me after the fact. I wound up getting a bill for that amount and less than a week after paying it, I got a check for $120 in the mail saying they had overcharged me. I had a scheduled C-section with epidural and stayed in the hospital from Monday morning at 7 am till Wednesday evening at 4 pm. We are blessed that my husband's employer is a fairly large company and offers great insurance, even though we pay a good bit for premiums, it is worth it. 1 of my coworkers had a vaginal birth last November and her son wound up in the NICU for a few days, her total bill was $12000 for the both of them because she has insurance through our employer on her and her 3 sons and her husband has his through his employer. Another girl I work with has hers through our company and is scheduled for a C-section on the 28th and said they have told her as long as everything goes well and she has a 2 night stay, her charge will be $8000. This does not make any sense to me.
My brother-in-law's younger brother and his wife have 3 girls, a 3 year old and twins that will be one on New Year's Eve. She refuses to work and they keep having kids through Medicaid. It infuriates me, because she has worked in the past and is smart and capable, but refuses. The first pregnancy was unplanned, then she got pregnant again (planned) and had a miscarriage. She then got pregnant again and has twins. I understand that she would probably spend everything she made on daycare for 3 kids, but they constantly are buying and trading cars, moving into rental homes they can't afford, and going on vacations. She's only 27 and they said they don't know if they are done having kids because they still want a boy. I would love to stay at home with LO, but it's not in the cards for us and I enjoy my job.
I agree it's a hard cycle to get out of. I wish people got better sex education and medical advice as teenagers, before they ever started having babies. It's a much bigger deal to have your first baby than your second.
I've always said I'm taking all of my kids, girls and boys, for an appointment at Planned Parenthood as teenagers. They can come to me for help, or our regular doctor, or PP, but the stakes are too high to not give them every possible resource.
I see all of this first hand. It just gets into a crazy grey area because having children is your right. I do think a few bad apples ruin the bunch though...like I said, no one wants to be poor. But is it easier to keep on living life, not working and getting aid? Hell yeah. Do I want to be busting my ass weekly? No! I'm lazy as all get out. But I am physically able, capable, doing something I love, and would probably feel shameful if I was on aid (which I know a lot of people feel).
None of this is an easy fix. The roots go much deeper than anything government is doing right or wrong. It's being born into a crap situation, it's failing schools, it's cultural, it's apathy to try and change it, it's how hard it is to change, sometimes it's all generations of a family know.
But I do know that I see it frequently in the healthcare industry, as I'm sure many attest to. I don't ever want to take away aid to children who didn't ask to be born into this situation, but when I drive past housing and see people at 3pm in their PJ's on the porch with hair in curlers I can't help but think there has to be a better way.
I know that was a whole jumble of thoughts but I could go on forever and was trying to slim it down.
TTC: 1/2014
BFP: 9/24
EDD: 6/8/2015
Sorry for the poor man's siggy...ticker won't load regardless of how many tips I read.
This is a really interesting discussion and reminds me of something I was thinking about recently. My husband and I are still students (in medical and graduate school, respectively), and while we get money from student loans it doesn't count as "income" in the traditional sense. I have insurance that I pay for through my school, and I qualified for medicaid when I became pregnant (still do, as a matter of fact). Anyway, after first going through my primary insurance and then through medicaid, our hospital bills are very small. But I still see the original cost because my primary sends a statement on what they covered and what they didn't, with what they didn't usually then being covered by medicaid. So I know how much this could have cost us. And it's RIDICULOUS. And here is the shame on me... even though pregnancy was horrible, like seriously bad, I almost feel like we should try again soon so that just in case we decide we want another one, we can get it for close to "free."
Here's why- In two years, dh will be in residency and i'll be either at a pretty decent job, or looking for one. However, we will have a TON of money owed in student loans. So that will be where a lot of our income goes for a number of years. Once we really have stable jobs and have payed off this debt, we should do pretty well money wise and will pay a significant amount in taxes (which by the way we will be happy to do given all the assistance we have been given to get the education to do what we want).
I just think it's nuts that i'm thinking about the cost of childbirth as a factor in trying to have another child and feeling like I better hurry up and do it. Seriously how crazy is that?
It's all messed up. I don't have the answers either.
DH and I both had grad school loans and our only hope is that the federal gov has a new loan forgiveness program if you work 10 consecutive years for a nonprofit. I would have anyway, but this is a nice plus. DH and I both do, actually. But seriously, otherwise we'd die before they were paid off. Right now we are doing "income based repayment" and not even paying off the interest so each year the balance is actually higher than when the year started. It makes me want to vomit.
I have to add... What's worse if you didn't have insurance and were on medi-cal, they don't have to pay a thing... We have regulars that come to ER on a weekly basis... No job, drug seeking, but everything is covered. Then hard working people who pay into insurance , get stuck with fat bills because certain things aren't covered? What's wrong with this picture
Yep. I have a friend who works at the hospital I delivered at (in ER also) and she's said that the financial situation of the hospital makes the job pretty unstable. It's in a pretty low-income part of town and something like 20% of patients actually pay.
It's insane, I don't work ER and work in the biggest hospital in the city, I can imagine a small independent hospital...how they deal with that. I'm lucky and don't know how all that crap doesn't affect our (RN's) pay
@HayesRN13 - that drives me bonkers! Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful we are employed and don't qualify for state funding, but really?! I personally know at least 2 women who are on state funding with 3 or more kids each...and having more is no big deal because it basically costs nothing for them. Way to screw the working class!! I also don't understand how we can be required to have insurance, but there is nothing regulating what we (consumers/patients) actually end up paying (at least nothing I'm aware of).
Well, I had a baby 4 years ago, 2 years ago, and now. It is pretty effing nice to not have to pay a single dime for this one's well child visits or immunizations. Or a pump, should I decide to get one. Or the mirena I got. Or, or, or...
I will also note, if the problem is that people on public assistance get better health coverage than working class people, there are two solutions to fix that inequality- either poor people pay more and get coverage as terrible as yours, or rich people pay more and your coverage gets better.
Sorry, breaking my own no politics on the internet rule!
True, the more kids you have and less money you make... The more the gov will take care of you.. It's a career for some people... Doesn't make it right
@HayesRN13 - that drives me bonkers! Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful we are employed and don't qualify for state funding, but really?! I personally know at least 2 women who are on state funding with 3 or more kids each...and having more is no big deal because it basically costs nothing for them. Way to screw the working class!! I also don't understand how we can be required to have insurance, but there is nothing regulating what we (consumers/patients) actually end up paying (at least nothing I'm aware of).
Well, I had a baby 4 years ago, 2 years ago, and now. It is pretty effing nice to not have to pay a single dime for this one's well child visits or immunizations. Or a pump, should I decide to get one. Or the mirena I got. Or, or, or...
I will also note, if the problem is that people on public assistance get better health coverage than working class people, there are two solutions to fix that inequality- either poor people pay more and get coverage as terrible as yours, or rich people pay more and your coverage gets better.
Sorry, breaking my own no politics on the internet rule!
Isn't entirely true, all my stuff is free (ok 10$ copay) and my OB/GyN office and other medical facilities (besides hospital) I go to do not except gov cheese ins, but unfortunately the hospital has to take and treat regardless. Yes I'm lucky to have great insurance, but I work hard for it. Welfare shouldn't be a career. And I'm ok talking politics to defend the obvious
I see all of this first hand. It just gets into a crazy grey area because having children is your right. I do think a few bad apples ruin the bunch though...like I said, no one wants to be poor. But is it easier to keep on living life, not working and getting aid? Hell yeah. Do I want to be busting my ass weekly? No! I'm lazy as all get out. But I am physically able, capable, doing something I love, and would probably feel shameful if I was on aid (which I know a lot of people feel).
None of this is an easy fix. The roots go much deeper than anything government is doing right or wrong. It's being born into a crap situation, it's failing schools, it's cultural, it's apathy to try and change it, it's how hard it is to change, sometimes it's all generations of a family know.
But I do know that I see it frequently in the healthcare industry, as I'm sure many attest to. I don't ever want to take away aid to children who didn't ask to be born into this situation, but when I drive past housing and see people at 3pm in their PJ's on the porch with hair in curlers I can't help but think there has to be a better way.
I know that was a whole jumble of thoughts but I could go on forever and was trying to slim it down.
Did you add pjs and smoking mj all day? Oh the smell...
@HayesRN13 I work my ass off at the largest hospital in our state and our insurance is horrific. They instituted a 10% coinsurance this year which is a slap in the face. Our pregnancy and delivery (normal, low risk) cost us $4500.
TTC: 1/2014
BFP: 9/24
EDD: 6/8/2015
Sorry for the poor man's siggy...ticker won't load regardless of how many tips I read.
@dancegurl1118 you can relate..Working L/D, we had a patient, pregnant three times while I worked there, went to ER by ambulance to get the pregnancy test done ... Took ambulance because she didn't have a ride, went to ER, well because she could-cheaper for her than to go to Walgreens and spend 10$
@HayesRN13 I work my ass off at the largest hospital in our state and our insurance is horrific. They instituted a 10% coinsurance this year which is a slap in the face. Our pregnancy and delivery (normal, low risk) cost us $4500.
That's effing ridiculous, the hospital I used to work LD was smaller and the benefits were similar but not that horrible... I have to say working for a big name hospital is worth it.. For the retirement and benefits alone
Part of me thinks that if I had known how much an epidural costs then I wouldn't have gotten one. Then the realistic side of me kicks in and I know there's no way in the world I would have that =;
I got charged for getting a single room versus a shared post-partum room. Luckily I was able to argue away the charge because I didn't choose the room, they just put you in what's first available.
That being said, if they had asked me, I still would have chosen a single room and then would have legitimately been charged.
I think we are finally out of the event leap!! She is so happy and not clingy, I can leave her in her chair for a bit and she's so content eating her toys
Part of me thinks that if I had known how much an epidural costs then I wouldn't have gotten one. Then the realistic side of me kicks in and I know there's no way in the world I would have that =;
I actually said to my DH when we got the bill, "Maybe I shouldn't have gotten it." Then followed by, "What the hell am I saying. It was totally worth it!"
I promise to stop with the Europe comparisons... but my hospital very sheepishly told me that our private family room would be 50 Euros/night out of pocket. (So like $120 total.) They didn't appreciate my laughter until they realized I'm Murican.
I promise to stop with the Europe comparisons... but my hospital very sheepishly told me that our private family room would be 50 Euros/night out of pocket. (So like $120 total.) They didn't appreciate my laughter until they realized I'm Murican.
I promise to stop with the Europe comparisons... but my hospital very sheepishly told me that our private family room would be 50 Euros/night out of pocket. (So like $120 total.) They didn't appreciate my laughter until they realized I'm Murican.
I like the comparisons. I like to know what and how things work in other places.
I got charged for getting a single room versus a shared post-partum room. Luckily I was able to argue away the charge because I didn't choose the room, they just put you in what's first available.
That being said, if they had asked me, I still would have chosen a single room and then would have legitimately been charged.
How dumb is this?
My hospital recently revamped the whole maternity / birthing / women's center areas. They had some term for it, basically meaning that they wanted the baby to remain with mom, so they remade all the rooms very much like hotel rooms. It had a small couch with a pull out bed built into a window nook, a comfy glider type chair, two nice upholstered table chairs, a small table, a REALLY AWESOME shower... It was the size of a good hotel room for sure. Other than the fact I had a hospital bed, it was actually a really nice stay. I only had a view of a roof, tho.
Re: Randoms!
I will also note, if the problem is that people on public assistance get better health coverage than working class people, there are two solutions to fix that inequality- either poor people pay more and get coverage as terrible as yours, or rich people pay more and your coverage gets better.
Sorry, breaking my own no politics on the internet rule!
@dancegurl1118, my mom used to work as an appointments scheduler at an OBGYN office and she was scheduling an appointment for a lady and the check out sheet from the doctor stated that they needed to set up a time to discuss birth control and the woman flat out told my mom that she couldn't take it because if she stopped having babies she wouldn't be able to keep her Medicaid. Mind you, she was covered in tattoos, her nails and hair were done, brand new iPhone, and designer purse.
I don't understand how the cost can be so different for everyone. We had already met my deductible, so all I paid for delivery was 2 $25 copays for my 1st 2 doctor's appointments, a $530 delivery fee to my OBGYN's office at the 7 month mark, and a $200 copay to the hospital. When I checked in the registration lady tried to tell my I owed $250 more, but I told her they could bill me after the fact. I wound up getting a bill for that amount and less than a week after paying it, I got a check for $120 in the mail saying they had overcharged me. I had a scheduled C-section with epidural and stayed in the hospital from Monday morning at 7 am till Wednesday evening at 4 pm. We are blessed that my husband's employer is a fairly large company and offers great insurance, even though we pay a good bit for premiums, it is worth it. 1 of my coworkers had a vaginal birth last November and her son wound up in the NICU for a few days, her total bill was $12000 for the both of them because she has insurance through our employer on her and her 3 sons and her husband has his through his employer. Another girl I work with has hers through our company and is scheduled for a C-section on the 28th and said they have told her as long as everything goes well and she has a 2 night stay, her charge will be $8000. This does not make any sense to me.
My brother-in-law's younger brother and his wife have 3 girls, a 3 year old and twins that will be one on New Year's Eve. She refuses to work and they keep having kids through Medicaid. It infuriates me, because she has worked in the past and is smart and capable, but refuses. The first pregnancy was unplanned, then she got pregnant again (planned) and had a miscarriage. She then got pregnant again and has twins. I understand that she would probably spend everything she made on daycare for 3 kids, but they constantly are buying and trading cars, moving into rental homes they can't afford, and going on vacations. She's only 27 and they said they don't know if they are done having kids because they still want a boy. I would love to stay at home with LO, but it's not in the cards for us and I enjoy my job.
I've always said I'm taking all of my kids, girls and boys, for an appointment at Planned Parenthood as teenagers. They can come to me for help, or our regular doctor, or PP, but the stakes are too high to not give them every possible resource.
None of this is an easy fix. The roots go much deeper than anything government is doing right or wrong. It's being born into a crap situation, it's failing schools, it's cultural, it's apathy to try and change it, it's how hard it is to change, sometimes it's all generations of a family know.
But I do know that I see it frequently in the healthcare industry, as I'm sure many attest to. I don't ever want to take away aid to children who didn't ask to be born into this situation, but when I drive past housing and see people at 3pm in their PJ's on the porch with hair in curlers I can't help but think there has to be a better way.
I know that was a whole jumble of thoughts but I could go on forever and was trying to slim it down.
But also, what's funnier, dogs in socks or kitten mittens?
Here's why- In two years, dh will be in residency and i'll be either at a pretty decent job, or looking for one. However, we will have a TON of money owed in student loans. So that will be where a lot of our income goes for a number of years. Once we really have stable jobs and have payed off this debt, we should do pretty well money wise and will pay a significant amount in taxes (which by the way we will be happy to do given all the assistance we have been given to get the education to do what we want).
I just think it's nuts that i'm thinking about the cost of childbirth as a factor in trying to have another child and feeling like I better hurry up and do it. Seriously how crazy is that?
It's all messed up. I don't have the answers either.
It's insane, I don't work ER and work in the biggest hospital in the city, I can imagine a small independent hospital...how they deal with that. I'm lucky and don't know how all that crap doesn't affect our (RN's) pay
All hail to the anesthesiologist. Bless him, keep him safe from harm, and smile benevolently on all his endeavors. Amen. [-O<
ETA the prayerful smiley
That being said, if they had asked me, I still would have chosen a single room and then would have legitimately been charged.
How dumb is this?