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2nd Trimester
Nancy6306
member
Would you have a baby on State Insurance?
Nancy6306
member
First of all, let me start by saying that prior to becoming a SAHM two years ago when I had my second child, I was a social worker for 16 years. I worked with low income families, mainly low income women and their children. I helped them apply for any benefits that they would qualify for and many times transported them to their appointments when transportation was an issue for them. I was always surprised at the number of women (and yes, some were married) that planned their pregnancies and had no health insurance and very limited resources to begin with. Yet, they actually planned their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pregnancies counting on state insurance to pick up the tab. Sadly, many of these women I worked were also undocumented and had come to the US (many in their 3rd trimester) to have their babies here. They would usually go to clinics that charged on a sliding scale and once the baby was born, all of their hospital bills would be covered because the child was born on American soil making him/her an American citizen. I heard bits and pieces of President Obama's speech on health care yesterday and just how much trouble we are in if we don't make changes. Yet, I find that there is a segment of society who is completely unconcerned about these issues. I know it is not just the undocumented but good ole American folks who are also exploiting an all ready broken system. I feel strongly that there are people in need who can benefit from State insurance. Like someone who was working and carried the benefits for the family and lost their job due to no fault of their own.
Three beautiful girls!
DD#1 8-23-01
DD#2 4-25-07
DD#3 10-19-10
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Would you have a baby on State Insurance?
I have the same views as you. It's disgusting how many women(especially many of them being teenagers) have multiple children and rely on state insurance and don't work. Wouldn't it be great to just live off of welfare and never work and pop out as many kids as we wanted... Unless I was in a serious situation and lost my job and couldn't afford things, I would never go on welfare or state insurance.
The ones you have to pay for, which are discounted and income based aren't so bad though (when you aren't offered ins. through your work). I know my mom had me and my 2 siblings on a plan like this when she was recently divorced from my dad and couldn't afford anything else for health ins.
I am on a program called denali kid care (kinda like medicare but not medicare). My husband and i can make around 3300 a month and still be covered.
I live in a town taht is twenty two blocks long 4.5 wide and in rural southeast alaska. we're not even considered a city we are a burrongh with no medical doctors only phsycians. I have to fly to the next town (45 min flight each way $226.00 each time plus the cost of my medical care. Rent here is around 1200 a month plus utilities for a standard home rental.
I know its a inconviece yet here the town is really only open for 5 months (cruise ship season. 13 stores are open year-around and with a population of about 500 or so its so hard to get or keep a year-around job.) So therefore yes i qualify for state assisstance and am using to cover the cost of my child as there is no insurance offered here in this town for work unless you work for the government.
and i do work for the summer tourist season and we do save all the money we can. We just dont have the work here year-around. Yet until now i have never been on state assisstance and it only covers the cost of my prenatal care and the birth itself. Everythings else i am on my own. Not so bad really if you can just save your money...goood thing we're accustomed to this.
and the reason you feel like you need to post this on multiple boards?
You have no idea about people's individual situations.
This.
Plus, my eyes can't really handle that giant block of text.
Agreed...my brain's fried and I don't really feel like getting caught up in this one. I will say that not everyone can afford insurance and I personally wouldn't put off having children just because I'm on Medicaid. Bottom line is, no matter what the parent's intentions were going into their family planning, when there is a child involved the child deserves any coverage necessary. That child didn't ask to be brought into this world and when they are sick, hurt or dealing with a congenital defect, they deserve to be seen by a Dr.
This is the US...not the slums of Calcutta.
I work for a non-profit health insurance company. The company I work for was developed to improve access to health care for lower income residents who lacked a "medical home" and who would have normally relied on the emergency rooms for primary care. You need to think outside the box on this one...not everyone is fortunate enought to have medical coverage.
Well, I am having my baby on medicaid. I also work 50+ hours a week in a full time position which does not offer health coverage, ever.
I was covered under my fiance's insurance, but he was laid off of work 3 days after our BFP. So no, I don't feel bad. My income needs to go to keep a roof over our heads, and food on the table- Not private insurance until he is able to get another job.
I should also note, I am not using any other programs. I am not using WIC, or anything else. The only help I need it medicaid, and that's all I'm taking. I'm not living off the government by any means.
http://i41.tinypic.com/111ov4j.jpg
2007-Sept 2008: TTC the old fashioned way
Sept 2008 - Jan 2009: Clomid 100mg
Feb 2009: 200mg Clomid = BFP! on March 20, 2009 - It's a BOY!
Nov 26th 2009: Aidan Michael, 20.5" 7lb12oz
Feb 2010: Start TTC again, the old fashioned way
Mar - June 2011: Clomid 100mg
July 2011: Unmedicated cycle = BFP! on August 29th, 2011
Nov 6th 2011: m/c due to subchorionic hematoma
Dec 2011: Start TTC again, unmedicated
February 12th, 2012: BFP! EDD 10/23/12
Mar 12th 2012: diagnosed as blighted ovum
Trying again..
The healthcare benefits are so cheap, wonderful and abundant in this country. It's a shock anyone needs to rely on any sort of assistance with the level of coverage available at an affordable level...
Oh, wait...
Zach Rance 4 President
Who are you to say that I should not be recieving help from the state because we planned our pregnancy??
BFP #3 -mm/c @ 7wks, discovered at 9wks, D&C 9/28
BFP #4 5/29 EDD 2/9 - please be our rainbow
i actually went out and found a job with insurance just so i could have a baby. i didnt want to pay out of pocket and my husband is self employed and we only had minimal crappy health insurance for emergencies only.
my friend however, doesnt work and opted for state insurance and doesnt have to pay a cent for her 2nd baby.
i guess i could have done the same, but felt i would be abusing the system, when i assumed i could just get a job with benefits. and, i still have to pay $1000 deductible and copays.
I will start by saying -- I sell insurance. It is what pays our bills!
I think there is a need for state insurnace. There are people working hard and just can not afford benefits, even if they are offered by employers. I am in a position where I am handing out 30% increases to my clients, who are passing that increase off to their employees some of the time.
But then, there are those who abuse the system. There are those who take advantage of the system and abuse it.
But there are people who abuse every system, including private insurance. We have all been to the emergency room and have seen the folks sitting there with nothing obviously wrong with them. Some of these people have Private Insurance! They are abusing the fact that they have a $35 copay to go to the ER. I have a co-worker who called 911 when her son had a case of the croup. Umm.... HELLO! Do you know how much that cost? An ambulance ride and a trip to the ER that were not necessary. But, she is covered on an insurance program and it was paid for. This is the reason I hand out 30% increases to employer groups.
Is the proposed health care reform the answer to this ... after all my research I think not. Going to a single pay system will equal a disaster for those Americans used to a certain level of care provided by their private insurance. Have you ever heard of anyone traveling to Canada to see a specialist? No, the specialist doctors are here in the US at Mayo and Hopkins where they are getting paid. Have you ever spoken to someone here who was on a wait list to have their hip replaced? I have spoken to people in places with socialized care on such a list.
hoping down off my soap box ...
Agreed! I think the same way and I agree with this post. I live in a rural area where many, many women abuse the medicaid system and don't work at all. I also agree that if you don't have the financial ability to pay for insurance, then how are you going to have the funds to raise a child- that is A LOT more expensive. I know that every one needs help at times and sometimes there is nothing you can do about it. But, to purposely plan a pregnancy with no money is not only irresponsible and selfish but it's not fair to that child. Some people make do with what they got and do the best they can and that's wonderful, but I'm sure they'd tell you it's hard to raise a child living off of welfare.
I don't agree. I believe health care is a right not a privilege. Of course there are people in every population (in every Industrialized country) where they abuse the system and drain resources from others who may need it more, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't receive care.
Having lived in another country and experienced "government" healthcare (or universal) and writing a PhD dissertation on healthcare many of the stereotypes we associate with government healthcare and those who seek gov. healthcare are incorrect and just plain judgmental!
My DH and I have amazing health insurance here in the United States, but we pay A LOT of money for that privilege (even with his job)! We have considered moving back to Europe so I can deliver there because even with our expensive private health insurance the United States ranks #37 in a list of best health care in the World (World Health Organization).
Owen- April 2011
Olivia- Due December 24th
This. Totally.
Also, I wonder how many of you who say you would just "wait to have kids until everything is roses" are like 20 years old. Seriously. Sometimes you have to weigh everything in your life. Should I wait until I'm 35 or 40 to try to have kids because I'll be financially stable and then hope I can get pregnant at that age? Life doesn't always follow your little laid out plans kids. Plus the judgemental attitudes about doing whatever you can to raise your baby (including help on insurance) ...isn't that what all you anti-choice/pro-life crazies demand when you want to outlaw abortions? Everyone should have their kids, but you don't want to pay for them, huh? I very much wanted to start a family and my husband lost his income and here we are. We will get the insurance and hopefully turn our finances around within a year or two. Should we miss out on a lifetime of our child because we have the misfortune of a bad economy and a broken healthcare system and loss of income?