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3rd Trimester
anyone NOT have insurance? (longish, but not too bad)
This discussion has been closed.
Re: anyone NOT have insurance? (longish, but not too bad)
^^^Not Helpful input! Besides, WIC is the least expensive thing she can get help with. That's like comparing buying someone a Happy Meal one time vs. the cost of feeding them for a year. Having a baby is expensive. l^^^
DITTO!!
Oh he!l no. I have been working since I was 16. At one point I worked 3 jobs and another time I worked one full time job, one part time job, AND went to school, FULL TIME. I pay taxes, and while I am for helping out others, I am a supporter of a full reform of the WELFARE system. WIC is not WELFARE. There are income requirements (as in, you have to have a JOB) in order to get WIC. Also, all it does is provide CERTAIN FOOD ITEMS for familes with children to help with better nutrition. Unlike Welfare, which just gives people a damn cash card to go buy cigarettes and video games. I see it every day. And in no part of any post did I mention getting government assistance anyway. Read, and think, before you type. The tell me how that shoe tastes.
I totally disagree with this and think it's a little extreme. She has a right to maternity leave, whether she's returning or not. I don't think it's going to taint your reputation as a working woman, so you can relax.
I'm sorry...was I not polite when I put down the idea of gov't assistance. She has a job and someone suggested an alternative to that job was WIC.
Gee let me try again...Please don't go on Gov't assistance/WIC. I really really pretty please don't want to pay for you.
I may be off base here...but where does the magic WIC fairy get her money from?
Come on.
PS...my loubitans taste great.
Thank you locash.
And to you, redcabbage. 1. READ THE WHOLE THREAD before replying. If you had, you'd see that I don't want to screw anyone over, myself included, and that I want to do this the right way. I never said I was going to stay and quit later. I know that would be sh!tty. I like my company. I want good referrals. Why would I do that? And what does it have to do with you? 2. No kidding. Never said I was going to be umemployed forever either. At most it would be for a couple months. 3. Again, no kidding. What does this have to do with anything?
Long time lurker here. You seem to be hung up on the idea of getting married at the courthouse, so I thought I'd suggest rather than doing that, you can get a notarized paper stating you are common law. For insurance purposes (not even relating to pregnancy), we did this before we were even engaged. I personally don't recognize common law marriage as marriage, but the state does. We took advantage of it and I had good health insurance. Plus, we actually got married on our own time, with a license that has our wedding date on it.
I don't mean to scare you but my first child was in the NICU for a long time and her medical bills ended up being $1,000,000. No, I am not exaggerating. I thank God she was insured ( actually she was double insured through both of our jobs). My only advice is to have insurance. You just never know what life has in store for you.
I also want to say that going out and getting another job isn't as easy as it used to be. Today I read a report that said there are 4.6 unemployed for every one job opening. When you add in those who are underemployed and those who do not qualify for unemployment that number goes to 7.4 people looking for every one job opening. Even if you do find a new job, your new salary might not be what you are making now and might not justify the expense to even have that job. In addition, a new job might not even offer health benefits. Just something to think about.
You're thinking of quitting your job & losing insurance coverage, yet a welfare reference is what outrages you?
As many others have pointed out, there are all sorts of unforeseen circumstances that could lead to crippling medical bills if you do not have insurance, especially if having $2500 in savings seems like an impossible stretch of the imagination. Do you know how many personal bankruptcies stem from medical bills? You could very well be on the road to needing the government assistance you seem to disdain.
Word locash. Some of you are letting your stupid show.
The Mouse ~ 06.12.08 | The Froggy ~ 02.23.11
Ya know, I maintain a judgment-free zone after what we have been through financially over the past few years. We've raked in 6 digits as well as been in poverty.
Meh...whatever. That just tells me that all those who judge haven't been through enough life yet. Crap happens and you deal with it however you have to for your life to work.
Thank you. I was beginning to wonder if everyone on here had lost their minds.
It has nothing to do with being polite. It has to do with being intelligent. Clearly, that isn't your strong point. Maybe you should put the money you spent on those LOUBOUTINS into a better education.
VERY well said.
And really quick, since i have to leave, but I don't want to leave this hanging. The comments about Welfare...
I am NOT against Welfare in any way, shape or form. I do think its a good program that helps a lot of people. That said, I think there needs to be a reform of some sort because there are a lot of people who abuse it, therefore taking away from the people who really need it.
That's all I will say about that.
Dude. What are you waiting for? Go to the courthouse and get married. You would seriously consider going without insurance rather than just getting married now? Cat's kind of out of the bag anyway. You've got a baby on the way.
And $10,000 is an INexpensive delivery. With a c-section you're looking at $60K plus. That will make the $2500 you don't have look like pennies. You can't afford to quit. And not just because you won't have insurance.
I work very closely with WIC in my county. You do not have to be employed to receive WIC. The income requirements are such that only low income (and no income) families may recieve WIC. WIC is a form of welfare. That being said, there should be no shame in requesting help from WIC.
Lots of suggestions.... don't quit, COBRA, marriage, WIC (just kidding, it's not even relevant... and webdeziner, why so angry?). Keep in mind, these are state laws and insurance regulations, so some of the advice here may not be applicable to you.
My suggestion is get real $$s and do the math on each scenario: 1. quitting and having no insurance, 2. staying at job, 3. COBRA, 4. your SO's plan (if that is an option). I might also challenge the HR's view that you would have to pay back the benefits if you don't come back... ask to see the policy that states it in writing. It seems wrong to me and I've spent some years in HR.
Before anyone throws a fit about my option #1 (no insurance)... know what your financial choices are. I suspect you will not like that choice, and seeing the numbers may help you understand the value of the other choices.
What people have not mentioned is the emotional side of these choices... and only you can place the value on things like time away from your family, a job you maybe don't like, marriage, or the fear associated with not having insurance coverage.
FWIW, My OOP estimates for my home birth are between $4,000 and $10,000 (MW + hospital deductible) with insurance that only covers complications of pregnancy. Hope that helps!
Are you aware of Ohio's unemployment rate? Do you really think you are going to be able to find a job that quickly?
BFP on Cycle 14--TWINS! Identical twin boys stillborn at 19wks(1/9/10)
3 break cycles; took clomid 50mg, BFP #2 Beta #1 35, Beta #2 338!!! Owen was born 2/11/11!
TTC#2: 4 cycles on clomid: BFNs
BFP #3: Cycle #5 100mg clomid; beta #1 21; beta #2 6=CP
Cycle #6 break cycle TTC no meds=BFN
Cycle #7: 150 clomid+ovidril+IUI=BFN (switched to RE)
Cycle #8: follistem+ovidril+TI=BFN
Cycle #9 Forced break due to cyst
Cycle #10 follistem+ovidril+TI=BFN
Cycle #11 follistem+ovidril+TI=BFN
Cycle#12 Forced break due to cyst, went on BCP; did repeat HSG, Saline U/S
Cycle #13 IVF: Follistim/Menapur ER 11-30 11 eggs, 5 mature, 4 fertilized and 3dt on 12-3; BFN
Cycle #14: IVF#2 lupron/follistim/menopur ER 1-22, 19 eggs, 14 fertilized, 5dt on 1-27, BFP!! beta 1: 63, beta 2: 119; EDD 10-15-13; 1 frozen embie
We wanted to do this as well because it was so hard getting those medical bills, but we couldn't afford that
In CA you do not have to be married to be on a group medical policy. Are you sure that is the requirement on your SO's policy? I processed all of the medical plan information for a large company in CA and handled Domestic partners all the time. The requirements were very loose on how to prove you were actually domestic partners. You had to show some kind of bill with the same address or sign a paper saying you had lived together for 2 years.
And come on to the people all ordering her to go get married after she clearly said she did not want to do that. Maybe they have a reason to not get married and she shouldn't do it before she is ready. These are the same people who would jump down your throat and say "oh you should have thought of that before you married the jerk" if you came on here later with a marital problem.
My Cobra is 290 dollars a month and that is for a premier, almost no cost policy. It covers absolutely everything including all prenatal visits and ob care. We have only paid maybe 10 dollars this whole pregnancy. My sisters portion of her delivery was 7000 and that was with insurance.
Quitting your job BEFORE the baby is born seems like a really, really poor decision. I'd say just suck it up and go back to work and see how it is before you quit. You never know...you might be aching to get back to your current job or you might just like it enough to stay and not be broke or saddled with insane bills.
I don't think it is unethical to go back to work after maternity leave and then quit. You might totally plan to go back to work and then get there and not be able to handle being without your new baby or childcare falls through, etc.
I love how you keep asking people what the hospital is going to charge you and allude to the fact that people without insurance probably do it all the time.
Your research on the birth of your child should not be done on thebump.com. Call your hospital and figure it out for yourself!
And guess what, the hospitals don't just give out free deliveries to people without insurance. They will bill you and you will pay them for the rest of your life (assuming it doesn't bankrupt you). And rightfully so. Educated people PLAN for these things and don't just wait til they are nearing the end of their 3rd trimester to post a question on a message board hoping to figure it out.
You'd be absolutely ignorant to quit your job and just hope that it's going to be taken care of. Having a baby is kind of a big deal. I suggest you do some serious research on your own and get it together asap.
This is one of the dumbest posts I've read on the bump in a long time
1. OP, you would be stupid to quit a job in this economy that offers health insurance when you are pregnant and can't go on your husband's insurance because you aren't married. Don't count on finding another job with benefits in a month or two in this economy. Even if you do, you may find yourself on a much shittier and more expensive insurance plan.
2. Paying for a birth out of pocket will set you back way more than $2500. An uncomplicated vaginal birth alone will be expensive. If you have a c/s, any complications that require a longer hospital stay or a baby in the NICU, you may be looking at expenses in the 5 or 6 digit range. But none of us can tell you for sure what a birth will cost at your hospital and with your doctor, so perhaps you need to pick up the phone and start figuring this out for real instead of asking on the bump. Do you even know what you will have to pay for the birth if you do stay on your current insurance?
3. WIC is a welfare program. However, it's not a medical insurance program and I have no idea why it got brought up in this post except that stupid people on the bump love to bash WIC.
Holy hell.
Ok, This is the last thing I am posting on this thread, and I'm done with it.
1. My original question was this: for those of you who had to go through a birth without insurance, how did you deal with it? I was NOT asking thebump for insurance advice or how much my hospital charges.
2. I asked this because this would be the WORST CASE SCENARIO for me. I plan on quitting my job. Period. I don't want to work there anymore because after the baby is born, it will be really hard and not really worth it, since my SO's job, and both of our families/child care is in the town where we live, which is almost an hour and 20 minutes from where I work.
3. It's more of a decision of WHEN I should be quitting. But it's a hard decision because I don't want to screw my employers and risk not being able to get good referrals for a new job just in case someone takes it really personally. I want to do everything the right way.
4. Never did I say anything about getting a free delivery. I KNOW I would get billed. No kidding.
5. As for my comments on WIC/Welfare, I will stand slightly corrected on some things. Yes, I know WIC is a form of Welfare. However, they are different in the way that they pay for different things, and my comment to the person who made a sarcastic comment about it (and basically was totally off topic and had nothing to do with anything anyway) was something that I took offense to because they were suggesting that I was trying to mooch of the system. WIC is an awesome program that really helps women and their babies, and I've actually looked into it myself to get help specifically for formula, since it can be very expensive, and I will not be pumping when I go back to work. Welfare can also help a lot of people, and is also a good program. However, I also know of waaaaaayyyyy too many people that take advantage of it and don't deserve it. It was insinuated in that posters comment that I would be one of those people,and it was asinine, and I responded. But as far as the "having to be employed" part, if you don't, fine. But when I was looking up requirements, there is an income requirement, so I just assumed that you'd at least have to have a job. Like I said before, as good of a program as both of these can be, I also think there needs to be a reform with better guidelines so people don't take advantage and the people who need it more are better protected, and the people who pay for it actually feel like its a good investment rather than a bad one. There is absolutely no shame in getting assistance if you need it. You do what you have to do.
6. As far as the job thing goes, yes I know what the unemployment rate is. But no, I'm not that worried. There are quite a few big places around my area that are hiring for many positions that I would be qualified for. The hospital and community college are two of them, and they've had a lot of postings lately. I also have some good references in those places. However, if they don't work out, they don't work out. I will do whatever job I have to, even if it might not be my first choice. And even if I might have to drive 20 minutes to that job, at least its not an hour and 20 minutes. Obviously anything can happen, but I will deal with that when/if it comes. Hel!, if I had to, I'd go back to work at WalMart. Its a job. With benefits. That's what matters.
Soo... THANK YOU to the people who actually answered my question and/or offered constructive criticisms and other suggestions. A few I hadn't thought of, so I appreciate it. My meeting today with my HR manager just seemed to conjure more questions, and I know I still have some research to do before a decision is made.
I'll just throw this out there because it hasn't been mentioned yet. Although I agree with all the PPs that said quitting your job is beyond stupid at this point in the pregnancy, if you do decide to do it have you considered a home birth? Assuming you are low risk and don't have any complications a home birth would cost you around $3000 in Ohio. My insurance isn't covering mine. Of course I do have insurance in case there is an emergency and I had to be transferred to the hospital. It seems like a serious gamble to take, but if you're thinking about having a hospital birth uninsured you might as well try to do it at home first.