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Does your OB office require prepayment of your delivery co-insurance?

Marilyn590Marilyn590
in 1st Trimester

Mine wants me to pay $100 now - well they said I could pay it in 4 installments. 

I asked the billing department why and they said because a lot people don't pay their hospital bill after delivery. 

I think it's a stupid policy but they said they don't make any exceptions.'

 The lady in billing said the insurance companies recommend it.  I just wanted to see if this was common practice.

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Re: Does your OB office require prepayment of your delivery co-insurance?

  • Linds&Chris777Linds&Chris777
    My OB with DS did, but I switched this time around and the new OB does not. I think it's a stupid policy. What if, God forbid, something goes wrong with your pregnancy and you have to sit there and try to get all that money back while you are dealing with everything else? I don't agree with it and will never use a doc who has a policy like that again.
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  • cutie420311cutie420311
    I have to pay my OB's bill up front, and it's WAAAY more than a lousy $100.
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  • ToBeMcInerneyToBeMcInerney

    imageLinds&Chris777:
    What if, God forbid, something goes wrong with your pregnancy and you have to sit there and try to get all that money back while you are dealing with everything else?

    This is what I was thinking too.  I haven't gone to my first appt but I am curious now.  I hope they don't do that.

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  • LouRN09LouRN09 member
    Yup, we have to, and I think its stupid. They contacted my insurance and did the math and we have a grand total of what it will cost for all of my visits, lab work, delivery, etc. and basically I need to have it all paid in full by my 28th week. I asked for a print out of exactly what this was covering (for my own knowledge and b/c we have a FSA and they will need details too) and they basically couldnt provide it for me. That pissed me off. The only good thing is that I wont have to worry about paying it once the baby is here, b/c we all know our money will have more important places to go! It will all be taken care of.

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  • Marilyn590Marilyn590
    I agree Linds - or what if I find a new OB because of their stupid policies like the prepayment or the fact that they won't be flexible enough to satisfy their patients that don't agree with the policy.
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  • GinEthansMomGinEthansMom
    Yup, prepay in advance.
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  • ejh090305ejh090305 member

    I guess it would depend on your insurance. I have my $400 deductible to meet, plus 10%. they can't know they exact total of what that will add up to right now. What if it ended up being a c-section? That would cost a heck of a lot more than a vaginal delivery so there is no way to know what it would be now.

    I can kind of see it if you just had a flat $100 copay for everything. I would prefer to pay ahead of time just so I don't have to worry about it later.

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  • Marilyn590Marilyn590
    imageejh090305:

    I guess it would depend on your insurance. I have my $400 deductible to meet, plus 10%. they can't know they exact total of what that will add up to right now. What if it ended up being a c-section? That would cost a heck of a lot more than a vaginal delivery so there is no way to know what it would be now.

    I can kind of see it if you just had a flat $100 copay for everything. I would prefer to pay ahead of time just so I don't have to worry about it later.

     I have a deductible plus 10% too.  They just take the minimum amount it could be (10% of a $1000 which is the the doctor fee for a basic delivery ) and ask me to pay that.

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  • RivieraMaya05RivieraMaya05
    Lucky, mine is $1000 with 80/20 insurance. It's supposed to be paid before I deliver. It seems a little early to be forking over the money in the first trimester.
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  • sing4him2sing4him2

    imagecutie420311:
    I have to pay my OB's bill up front, and it's WAAAY more than a lousy $100.

     This...

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  • KWaldo21KWaldo21

    I asked my OB's office quickly when I was there for a u/s last week and they said that they don't even bill out until after delivery!! I'm trying to figure out my FSA for next year and her answer did NOT help me one bit! Has anyone had this been the case for their OB's office? I want to make sure I put it on my FSA card..but obviously if I don't know how much they're going to charge I can't figure it out!

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  • georgia_peachygeorgia_peachy member
    Mine do, but they also don't put the bill through until you actually deliver.  So instead of meeting half my deductible this year and then half next year, everything (prenatal/postnatal/delivery care) all rolled into one fee that will go through next year.  Mine is $1400 - $700 due in January and $700 due in April.  I use a flex account so it's really not a big deal for me. 
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  • Dreamsicle23Dreamsicle23 member
    I should probably find this out.  My hospital copay is $600 and I definitely don't have that just sitting around between the holidays and my other copays :(
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  • DevonanneDevonanne

    My old OB's office had it to where you paid after the birth. 

     My new one has it that you have to pay now.  The total cost of everything will be 2500 and I have to pay 250.00 which isn't that bad but I am doing it in a payment plan just in case something was  to happen. 

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  • Jeni182Jeni182 member
    I think it depends more on your insurance instead of your OB's office. Every OB office in my town bills this way and I ended up having to pay $1400 for the cost of my deductable plus 20%. My sister has 100% covered on her insurance so all she has to pay is a co pay everytime she goes in. I've been to two different OB's and they were both that way and my sister goes to one now that I went to to begin with and they were going to make me pay the $1400 up front.
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  • marta602marta602 member

    Mine did with DS and I assume they will with this one as well.  I thought it was good to get one out of the way, since I was getting medical bills from the delivery and jaundice hopital stays for 6 months after.

    ETA: I actualyl got a check back from my OB after delivery because it ended up being less than they had estimated.  Not sure if it was because I delivered 3 weeks early and didn't have as many office visits as they had planned or what?

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