D.C. Area Babies
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Experiences with Kaiser OB?
Hi! I'm a lurker here--I have Kaiser insurance through my job and we are going to start TTC for the first time next month. I have had a good experience with Kaiser so far (one appointment with my gyn, appreciated everything you could do on-line without having to call or go into the office) but I don't know much about how user-friendly their OB services are. I'm almost 35 so am wondering what they'll be like if we have trouble conceiving, or if I end up having complications. Has anyone had experiences with them (good or bad) that you'd be willing to share? My other option would be to move over to my husband's plan or switch my own coverage to a more traditional insurance plan. Thanks in advance!
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Re: Experiences with Kaiser OB?
I had DD with Kaiser and had great experiences. We didn't have any trouble TTC so I can't advise on that aspect but I was very happy with the prenatal care, care at the hospital, and the pediatric care for DD. Since I was 31 at the time, they gave me the option of getting genetic counseling/testing after I got pregnant which I did take advantage of. For me, the primary benefit of Kaiser is that everything is integrated into one electronic medical record so any specialists that you go to or any other doctors that you see within Kaiser have access to all of your medical info which is a huge benefit, especially if you have complications. I also email my doctors and DD's doctors with questions and set up appointments online. The only thing that some people see as a negative is that you don't get to choose which doctor you deliver with. It will be based on whichever Kaiser doctor is on call at the hospital where you deliver. So, some people don't like that but I was fine with it and ended up getting a great doctor for the delivery.
I currently have Kaiser and really like it for all the reasons mentioned above. I also am 35 and had trouble ttc. I had no problems getting a referral to Shady Grove for infertility treatment. I was scared at first about getting whoever is on call for delivery - but I then found out the doctor is really only there at the end anyways - most of the time you are w/the nurses - so that made me feel better.
I have been to two OBs - one in DC and one in NoVa. If you need a rec. for either - just let me know.
Best of luck to you!! And remember - just being 35 doesn't mean you will have problems - some do - but there are also a lot of women who get pregnant easily at 35 and beyond.