few ?s..hosp discharge/payment, pedi recs

harper818

1. I keep hearing about how the hospital requests a payment or a down payment before they will release you and baby. The billing lady at my ob office says to pack $200  cash and to pay that. Even just a $100 if they will let you to try and avoid fighting with them to get the money back after insurance pays them. Anyone have any experience with this? This sounds so crazy to me. 

2. I also am looking for pediatrician rec... preferably one who will follow a delayed vacc schedule and pretty close to the Myerland area (610/Beechnut, Galleria) any suggestions? 

TIA!! 

Diananisaac

I dont have a pedi rec for you in that area but I had my daughter at Methodist Sugarland and they did not ask for any money when we left. I was billed roughly 1,100 after insurance...this was almost 2 yrs ago but I have a friend who had hers at Memorial Herman and she said they called asking her to put something down before she even had the baby....she has 2 babies and they did this both times.

Diananisaac

Also my friend did have insurance.

RaeAnt

We were cash with Ds....no insurance at the time and one of the billing people at MH actually came into my room as I'm around 9cm asking about money! Needless to say, I wasn't very nice and pretty much told her to get the he!! out of my room since I was getting ready to push.

I know with MH-katy, when we registered, how much would be owed and that we could prepay was all discussed. We just didn't expect the idiot walking in in the middle of my labor!

erin8606

I am delivering at clear lake. I just hit 37 weeks today and i know they called yesterday wanting me to pay the balance of my deductible to them right on the phone ahead of time(the rest is covered 100%). I opted not to. we're still paranoid the kid will be late and count towards the 2012 deductible year and it seems like it would be a pain to try and get the hospital to refund the money. We had the same experience with the OB's office too

Resa77063

I delivered at Memorial Hermann Katy and they sent us a letter in the mail, around 30 weeks, letting us know what our estimated charges would be, after insurance was paid.  The amount had a due date, but there was no way we were paying it ahead of time.  I mean, what would happen if I paid and then ended up delivering some where else, because she came early or couldn't make it to the hospital? We would have to fight to get our money back.  Because we all know they want their money on time, up front, no questions asked.  But when it comes to giving it back to someone, they take forever. 

 When it was time to be discharged, they didn't say anything about our bill.  We just got it in the mail and took care of it afterwards. 

harper818

super interesting. thanks guys. 

chrisbride04

I had DS at Memorial Hermann- Woodlands. The day before discharge a financial rep came in to the room and informed us of our portion of the bill and claimed/demanded we had to pay it right then. It was less than $500, so we just went and ahead and paid it in full.

KatFish2011

I live on the NW side of town and my hospital requires me to pay my part of the deductible and will bill me any additional costs (i.e. LO's hearing and blood work) separately. The same with my OB. I had to pay her up front as well.

jen5-03

I don't remember prepaying at Womens. They did require us to pay for the room portion before we left.  MHMC required prepayment for our deductible. We paid by CC. I can not imagine carrying cash to the hospital, that just seems crazy. 

Our OB did a prepayment thing around 37weeks too - but that OB didn't take a copay every visit, just did lump sum billing at the end. My previous OB charged me a copay at every visit and there was no lump sum due at the end.

mom2ll

I don't remember with my first, but with the second (memorial hermann med center) they called a few weeks before I was due and asked for payment right then. I told them NO! Why would I pay for services I haven't recieved? What if I got hit by a bus the next day? What if i ended up at a diffefent hospital? Before we were discharged, dh went down and paid our bill. It was $250.

BritanyV

With DS #1, I had pre-registered at the hospital (Methodist Willowbrook) and they asked for me to start making payments on my deductible then asked for the balance of it when I went in to have him.   I was not asked for any other money until the bill came in after we went home. 

I'm still in the hospital with DS #2 and no one has said anything about any money.  My deductible for the year is paid anyway and I'm at Tomball Hospital.  For some reason this hospital is not very worried about their money, I think it took over a month to get my bills from the D&C I had last year. 

Natalie&Mark

BritanyV:

With DS #1, I had pre-registered at the hospital (Methodist Willowbrook) and they asked for me to start making payments on my deductible then asked for the balance of it when I went in to have him.   I was not asked for any other money until the bill came in after we went home. 

I'm still in the hospital with DS #2 and no one has said anything about any money.  My deductible for the year is paid anyway and I'm at Tomball Hospital.  For some reason this hospital is not very worried about their money, I think it took over a month to get my bills from the D&C I had last year. 

That's the first and only thing I've heard about Tomball...which is where we'll be, too.  

AmyDrinkie

chrisbride04:

I had DS at Memorial Hermann- Woodlands. The day before discharge a financial rep came in to the room and informed us of our portion of the bill and claimed/demanded we had to pay it right then. It was less than $500, so we just went and ahead and paid it in full.

I delivered there too but nobody asked me for money before leaving the hospital, or when I preregistered.  They just sent me a bill about a month later.

sad5781

AmyDrinkie:

chrisbride04:

I had DS at Memorial Hermann- Woodlands. The day before discharge a financial rep came in to the room and informed us of our portion of the bill and claimed/demanded we had to pay it right then. It was less than $500, so we just went and ahead and paid it in full.

I delivered there too but nobody asked me for money before leaving the hospital, or when I preregistered.  They just sent me a bill about a month later.

Same here.  I remember someone coming in to verify my insurance information but that was it.