s/o OB Bills - How much are you paying?

ermaderma · June 2011

I pay about $75/pay period for coverage for DH and I and that includes dental and vision. After the baby is born, that will go up to $100 per pay period.

My deductible is $250, but I haven't had to pay anything towards that yet. I assume we will at some point. After that they pay 90% and my out of pocket max is $1,000.

I am very fortunate that I have amazing benefits where I work and it is pretty much the only reason I put up with the hellish commute everyday!

ETA: I should say that I only have to pay a co-pay when I see my endo, but I see him while not pg as well. I've only had to see him once thus far. Hopefully, my blood sugars stay in check and my lab work keeps coming back OK and I won't have to see him again!

TeamJAS · June 2011

I pay a $5 co-pay for scheduled monthly OB/baby visits, $15 for regular visits. All lab work, shots, x-rays and U/S are free. L & D admittance including C-section and all meds administered during labor is $250, but L & D triage (observation) is free. I pay $15.50 per week (each paycheck). I?m extremely lucky it?s not more, otherwise I would never be able to afford it since I?m still the only one working. Once baby gets on my insurance though my weekly medical coverage payment will jump from $15.50 to $100 per week. My company doesn?t cover dependents. This is a scary thought, but at least it gets taken out pre-tax. Hopefully that will help.

twinkle_toez69 · June 2011

Not to mention you guys get a year maternity leave, right? You have no idea how often I tell people "you don't even want to hear about how good our pregnant neighbors in CA are treated".

Right. I mean actually it's not "free" healthcare we have over here, though. We do pay for it through our taxes, etc but you don't notice that at all. You just see your pay cheque and don't notice what has come off of it really. And really.... the amount I pay vs. the amount I need/use is minimal. Plus, I like how selfless it is that everyone pitches in, and all of our citizens, no matter what their circumstances, are covered! I can tell you - after hearing horror stories of people with serious conditions like cancer treatments, being in comas, etc in the states and how much it costs, I'll take the small amount they remove from my pay for taxes any day!

Same for maternity leave. We pay into Unemployement benefits directly from our pay cheque, but again it's such a small amount, you don't see it (There is a yearly maximum which I think is about $600 a person, so imagine that split into 26 pays per year and it's less than the amount of two weeks' mat. benefits) So then when you go on maternity leave, they give you approx. 17 weeks for the mom only and 35 weeks for mom or dad to take (usually this is mom taking it, though, but you are free to split/share those weeks however you wish - my DH will take two weeks only of that leave),.equalling the full year. The maximum payment is around $425 a week for this benefit. And then for some of us our employers top up what is not paid by those benefits to a certain percentage. I happen to work for the Federal Government, so they top us up to 100% salary for the year. I feel very blessed to have this. It really is a good little system Canada has, in my opinion. The only stipulation is that in order to get the unemployment benefits again you have to be back to work for 600 hours (around 15-17 weeks) and same for the work covered top up - you have to be back for a certain amount of time. It's pretty easy to do though, if you plan it correctly.

It's definitely not a perfect system, but in my opinion, it keeps most people pretty protected, keeps more people healthy and off the streets, and for the most part just works. I definitely do not take it for granted because I know it could be a lot different if I lived in another country. Having said that - I've heard countries like Sweden, I believe, are literally the best - better than Canada's plan even lol maybe we should just move there?

spidermonkeymomma · June 2011

$200 for my OB outpt visits... nothing for Labor & Delivery.

Mrs. Alice · June 2011

Honestly I have no idea at this point. If I was having have a nice normal singleton pregnancy and delivery it would have cost out of pocket about $900 (including my deductible) to my OB for delivery and prenatal care and then I would be responsible for 20% of the hospital stay. That scenario has obviously gone out the window! Let's see, now we add Perinatologist appointments and u/s 3x week and antepartum hospital stay probably until delivery. I can't even imagine what the NICU bill for twins is going to be... My insurance is probably freaking out. I found out I was approved for Medicaid today since I'm out of work. At least I know they will pick up whatever my insurance doesn't so we don't go into financial ruin!

MsCrispy · June 2011

I find reading your health insurance documents sooo confusing.

I pay nothing for prenatal visits. For delivery, LO and I each have a $300 deductible, plus I believe we pay around 20% after that. From talking to people, I'm expecting it to be around 1,500. I have an out of pocket max of 2,000.

I'd like to figure out a more exact amount so I know how much to add to my FSA, but I'm having trouble locking it down.

elynds · June 2011

Ours is super confusing since we're changing insurance in 2 weeks (we were/are covered under mine through my employer, and moved for DH's new job where we pick up July 1st.

On my insurance we owed about $1200 total (800 deductible + 20% coinsurance). I've paid off the deductible, but am waiting to pay coinsurance because our new plan has no deductible and 10% coinsurance. It's been kind of a hassle since I changed doctors AND insurance, but at least we have the better insurance when we have to pay hospital bills (DH works at the hospital where I'm delivering, so our costs there will be minimal after insurance).

supernat3 · June 2011

Canadian here...after reading the responses, I'm blown away and don't know how you all do it/manage, b/c that's a crazy amount of money$$ !!!

" I happen to work for the Federal Government, so they top us up to 100% salary for the year. I feel very blessed to have this."

Working for the Canadian government at provincial or federal levels is THE sweetest job/career you can have in Canada for sure! EI top up to 100% salary?!?!?! DAMN!!!!

I'm a Teacher in Ontario, and A LOT of people have the misconception that we get topped up - we don't (it's just the approximate $425 - $450/week on EI) - we just get EI at a max of 55% of our annual salary. However, I DO get this for a year, and my job, school and class assignment is guaranteed for me when I come back. I won't pay into my benefits, b/c I'm lucky that my DH has the same package with his company, so I'll just be a dependent under his....but I am going to buy back my pension for the year.

That all being said, I feel very blessed to live in Canada and have the free health care and maternity benefits that I have. Good luck to all you American mommies - I don't know how you gals do it (budget and all), I commend you!

marriedtoeric · June 2011

Total to the midwife/birth center: $500. I overpaid by $4 and change.

My work pays 100% of my insurance, and it has a $750 deductible. We had already met $250-ish of the deductible before getting pregnant (thanks, last pregnancy). I owed one co-pay of $25 for my first prenatal visit, and then of the $6000 global fee for midwifery care and birth at the birth center, we just had to meet the remainder of our deductible since maternity care is covered at 100% with no additional deductibles after the first. The baby's portion of the $6K is about $800, and baby will be on DH's insurance--which has a $100 deductible and 10% co-insurance. So aside from the $500 we already paid, we'll also probably owe the $100 baby deductible...but they're going to bill us after baby's born for that portion.

If we have a hospital transfer, I'll still owe $0 since we've met our deductible and my insurance covers in-hospital maternity at 100% also. Baby will still have to meet his/her $100 deductible too.

italnprncss78 · June 2011

I have really good coverage through my job. No co-pays the whole pregnancy...for anything. We pay $500 to take LO home and that is all.

megank27 · June 2011

Our total cost is $6,000 for the deductible ($3,000 for me, $3,000 for LO) with nothing is billed until after the baby is born, plus one $20 co-pay from the MFM place. My company has an HRA, so our actual out of pocket is only $1,000, with the other $5,000 covered by that plan.

efsNYC13 · June 2011

I also have crap-tastic insurance, even though I work for a hospital. Well, maybe its just compared to the hospital thatI am doing my residency at (I am doing research elsewhere for 2 years so had to temporarily switch). So I'm paying $2000 for the OB because they only cover 80% out of network. Luckily the MFM doctor who did my CVS decided not to charge us over the insurance payment. Plus random labs and stuff here and there. At least my hospital stay is 100% covered for me and LO, though we of course chose a pediatrician that "doesnt accept insurance" so we will get re-imbursed 80% again.

On that note---save all your medical bills and statements for everyone in your family---if you itemize your taxes, they are deductable (this includes perscriptions, labs, breastpump, some formulas, etc).

Also, if your insurance company is like mine and cares about in network vs out and you may want an epidural/c-section/anything that involves an anesthesiologist, ask about that on your hospital tour so you figure it out in advance. Same thing with if your OB does a c-section---depending on who assists, if it is a 2nd attending, there may be an additional bill.

JKGymnast · June 2011

I'm from Massachusetts and have unbelievable insurance so I know I'm one of the lucky few. I have zero deductable (my employer pays it) and $20 copays.

During my IF treatments - my insurance paid 100%. After all was said and done, I had left over unopened meds and donated them to a girl on the 3TC board in California who was completely out of pocket. I wish I had more meds to donate because I know I have excellent coverage and I feel horrible for those who dont! Its just not fair.

windsongs · June 2011

Another Canadian- $0 and through my Midwife program I also get a free doula, MW and all prenatal classes. I also get a post natal doula home visit and a lactation consult. And the year of mat leave at 60% of my pay.

jeninedesouza · June 2011

Canada= Everything covered!

I can't believe it costs out of pocket to have a baby in the States. Its $$. I guess we pay it in taxes anyhow, but somehow knowing I dont have to fork over any money for dr visits, lab tests, ultra sounds ( I have a routine regular pregnancy and have had 2 normal routine ultrasounds to date 1 @ 12 weeks, 1@ 18 weeks) is one less thing to worry about.

I love Canada.

bethany joy · June 2011

We knew we were ttc this year so I upped my insurance to our best plan in January. Totally happy so far: Dr visit - $25 copay on the initial only Ultrasound -$34 copay on the first one only Hospital should be $250 deductible and covered 100% after that.

WeWearCombatBoots · June 2011

We are very lucky, we have not paid a cent! Even a $2000 bill for spending a few hours in the hospital.

Enami · June 2011

bre86ann:
so am I the only one with crappy insurance??? lol It's through my job. Any of you ladies out there who buy their own insurance? It might be something I have to look into after this LO is born if that's the case. The only issue for us is that DH needs to lose 150 pounds or we'll pay through the roof for him in premiums if anyone will even insure him.

Absolutely not. My insurance doesn't cover maternity care AT ALL, which I didn't find out until my $700 dollar diagnostic u/s at 6w was declined. Why the hell does an u/s cost $700?!?! Whatever. I got lucky because I qualified for government aid on my maternity and post-natal care. So other than that u/s, I haven't paid anything so far. I'm very grateful for the government aid, because without it, I would not be able to go to the doctor at all. I only make about 7-800$ a month, and FI doesn't have a steady job. Anyone need a freelance computer programmer for anything??

water-fairy · June 2011

Nothing. Only the cost of the elective 3D/4D we are getting done in 2 weeks.

lmjt · June 2011

My H pays $237 a month out of his check for our whole family's coverage (including the new baby) I had to pay $200 when I picked my OB when I was pregnant with DS, because she is an out of network provider, but I only had to pay that once, and I paid it over 2 years ago. I do not pay co-pays for OB visits or U/S at my hospital, or anything for delivery. The only payments I still have to make are $15 co-pays for the endocrinologist every 2 weeks or so, and co-pays for my diabetic testing supplies and insulin. All together it's about $150 a month, and I only have to pay that part for 4 months of the pregnancy, from the time I got GD until I deliver.

twinkle_toez69 · June 2011